Tom and Ginny: The Goblet of Fire
by Trixie Black Lestrange
Summary: Sequel to T/G: PoA. Follows Ginny/Estella through her third year (Golden Trio's fourth year) as she learns new things and meets new people.
1. Chapter 1

**It's been a while since I updated my T/G series, so here goes nothing (and everything). I really do want to post this one a chapter at a time, especially because it's not finished yet, and I think doing a bit at a time will inspire me. I really can't wait for the reactions to some of these chapters. I'm just so thrilled to share this story. Enjoy!**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

Percy woke Ginny by shaking her gently, knowing she had seventeen serpents hidden in her robes. "We'll be coming into the station soon," he said softly when she blinked up at him sleepily. "Sit up. And you might want to go say goodbye to your friends. I'll handle your trunk."

"Thanks," she said to him, then yawned as she turned and headed through the compartments to find her friends.

"Estella!" said her red-haired friend in surprise when she came into their compartment. Megan, Guage, Cherea, Corin, Meris, Rohan, and Karntaan were all seated in the car together, looking at her. "Where've you been?"

"With Percy," she answered. "It's his last year, and he wanted me to ride with him on the way home. Anyway, I've just come to say goodbye and good luck to all of you during the summer. I'm going to have a terrible summer."

Corin laughed, and Meris elbowed him. "She meant that," he told his friend.

The fair-haired boy looked over at Ginny/Estella. "You did?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

Estella grinned and nodded, taking a seat between Cherea and Meris. "Fred and George are mad at me and told me that they're leaving me to their mother's designs," she told them. "Also, I'm taking all seventeen bitemates home, and she's bound to find out somehow. Only Bill, Percy, and the twins know I have all of Icythan's bitemates. I'm pretty sure I'll have one friend at the Burrow this summer: Percy."

"You're terribly bad off," Meris said to her, grinning.

"Write me," she told him. "All of you, if you want. Nothing to suggest that I know I'm not a Weasley, however. It'll drive Molly mad, my getting any kind of notes from my schoolmates that she doesn't know."

"And doesn't approve of," chuckled Karntaan. "We should do that, Ro. Scare both Ginny's 'parents.'"

The Lestrange twins chuckled mischievously, and Meris frowned slightly. "You don't want the Weasley woman to tell her she can't write any of her friends, or read any letters from them."

Rohan smiled a little. "We'll play it safe," he answered. "And she can talk her way out of most things, anyway."

The train began to slow down, and Estella got to her feet, biting her lip. "I'll see you next year," she said to them softly, then hurried to the door. "Goodbye," she told them, then left the compartment.

As she left the train, she passed Draco and his mother and winked at the blonde boy. He smirked, but turned away before his mother could see. Glancing up and down the platform for red hair, Ginny saw Arthur Weasley greeting Percy and the twins, and sighed.

"Courage," said someone close by, and she realized Meris was standing beside her. "Do you see my mum?" he asked her, looking around the platform. "I'd rather not be stared at, you know."

"Yeah," she muttered, looking over the crowd for his mother. "I wish things could be different."

"So do I," he said, glancing sideways at her. "I'll write you," he told her quietly, then levitated his trunk and disappeared into the crowd to find his mother.

Biting her lip, Ginny hurried through the crowd, up to her father, and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He slipped his arms around her and hugged her. "Ginny," he said with a smile. "How was school?"

Ginny looked up at him, her eyes somehow different. "It was great, Dad," she answered. "I've had so many new experiences, and I've got several new friends!"

"Very good," he smiled, hugging her again before he kept her by his side, turning to greet Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"What is _that_?" Ginny said in horror, staring at the bundle of feathers Ron was trying to keep contained in an owl cage.

"It's an owl," Ron told her excitedly. "S—someone sent it to me! He's mine, Dad!"

Arthur nodded, then smiled politely at Harry and Hermione. "Nice to see you again, Harry, Hermione. We will probably be contacting you later in the summer."

Ginny's heart sank. That, undoubtedly, meant she would have to share a room with Hermione sometime during the next two months. She gave Hermione a shy smile, and the brown-haired girl returned it, bigger and brighter than Ginny's. She leaned closer to her father, who squeezed her a little, her serpents slithering out of the way beneath her robes uncomfortably.

After several moments of waiting around for Ron and his other brothers to say goodbye to Harry and Hermione, the Weasley family walked out of the platform back into the Muggle portion of King's Cross. They caught hands in a slightly unpopulated alleyway, Mr. Weasley apparating them into the backyard of the Burrow.

Molly was watching as each of her sons walked into the house, their trunks in their grasp. "Ginevra, where is your trunk?" Molly demanded of the red-haired girl.

Ginny turned to look for Percy, but he'd already gone inside the Burrow. "Percy's got it," she said. "He offered to take care of it for me so I could say goodbye to my friends."

"All right," Arthur said, and Ginny quickly walked into the house ahead of the two Weasleys, hurrying up the stairs toward her room.

"Great," she sighed when she realized that Percy still had her trunk. Ginny left her room to find her older brother and met him coming back down the stairs. "Oh, good," she said, and he grinned a little.

"Just forgot that I had your trunk," he shrugged, following her into her room. He stood before her bed, then lifted her miniature, lightweight trunk out of his pocket, using his wand to enlarge her trunk to its regular size. "There you go," he told her. "And don't forget that you're allowed to come hide in my room whenever you need to."

"Thanks, Percy," she told him gratefully. "I probably will sometimes."

He smiled and gave his sister a hug. "Any time, Ginny," he said softly. "Come to me if you have nightmares again. And _don't_ forget to ward your room and your bed."

Ginny squeezed her brother tightly. "Okay," she whispered. "Thank you."

Percy patted her on the back, then left her alone in her room to unpack her trunk.

Ginny denied eating that evening so that she had time to herself in her room. Her bitemates were restless, so she allowed them to slither out from under her robes and inspect her room. She told them, "You can go around the house, but do not be ssseen by _any_ of them, not even my oldessst nessstmate brother. You may eat the mice and rat _hisssusss_ you find, but leave the flying _hisssusss_ alone."

Some of the basilisks seemed disappointed, but all of them agreed, some of them slithering into the walls and disappearing from her into different areas of the house. Icythan settled next to his mistress's chest, Odessa on her left arm and Teneski curled around her right wrist. "Missstress mussst sleep," Icythan told her as Ginny sat down on her bed and sighed. "The red _hisssusss_ will hurt missstress: missstress mussst ressst to ssstay sssafe."

"Okay," Estella said, giggling a little as she Summoned a nightgown and got ready for bed. "I'll sleep now. Thank you for your concern, Icythan." She lay down on the bed, pulling the covers up around her. "Please tell the bitemates to return to me when I wake in the morning," she requested of the three that had remained with her. "You will tell them when I awake, won't you?"

"Of courssse, Missstress," Odessa told her reassuringly. "Sssleep, Missstress. It wasss a long sssun, sssuch a long trip to Missstress's nessst."

"Yesss," Estella agreed, then yawned and curled up beneath her blanket, falling asleep rather quickly.

* * *

The first Saturday of summer break, Arthur took Percy up to the Ministry for his apparition test. When they arrived back at the Burrow, Percy was beaming with pride, and Ginny shouted happily, throwing her arms around him. "You got it!" she cried, and he produced his license, making her squeal and hug him more fiercely.

The five basilisks she had on her hissed uneasily, and Percy raised an eyebrow and hugged her carefully before releasing her. Fred and George inspected their brother's new apparition license and pronounced that it was a forgery, merely because it had Percy's name on it. Ginny rolled her eyes at them, still grinning over Percy's triumph.

"And," Percy continued proudly, making Ron and the twins watch him cautiously, "I've got a job up at the Ministry. I'm going to be—

He didn't get a chance to finish, because his mother smothered him in a hug, and Ginny hugtackled him the instant Molly released him. "Congratulations!" Ginny said happily. "Oh, very good!"

Ron looked a little grumpy, and Percy said, "Come on, Ron, it's exciting!"

The youngest Weasley scowled at his older brother. "Well, yeah, it's good, if that's what you want. Percy, Ginny named _my_ owl Pigwidgeon! Isn't that the most hideous name you've ever heard?"

"Well," Percy shrugged, "it could be worse."

"Yeah," Fred agreed. "She could have named it after you, Percy."

"Stop teasing him like that!" Ginny snapped at Fred angrily. "You're being absolutely terrible to him for no reason!"

George smirked at his sister. "It's not as if _you_ don't have a reputation for doing the same thing to _others_ ," he answered.

Fred agreed with his twin. " _And_ we're not doing it for 'no reason.' We're doing it because he's a git, and all gits need to be reminded that they aren't as important as they think!"

Molly brushed Fred and George aside, offering Percy and Arthur a late breakfast since they'd been up earlier than the rest. Percy sat down, putting away his license as Ginny sat down beside him and warned him to do so. He let her know that he appreciated her trying to stand up for him by squeezing her hand under the table.

* * *

Through the next few days, Ginny realized that, not only were her twin brothers going to leave her to fend off Molly by herself, but they also tried to pick fights and argue with her as much as they could. Ginny tried to stay out of the twins' way, hiding in her room a lot. The basilisks kept her company and talked to her, keeping a lookout in different parts of the house for their mistress.

Ginny eventually asked Basari to keep an eye on the Weasley twins and to let her know if they talked about her. Fred and George seemed to be doing a lot of banging around in their room, but Basari informed her that they were merely "playing with explosssive magicsss!"

One day, Ginny was sitting in her room, writing a letter to Brianna and Samantha, when the bitemates all began to panic. "Missstress!" Ananke hissed over all the others. "The double _hisssusss_ have Basari! They have captured her!"

"No!" gasped Ginny, but her bitemates confirmed it, and she took them onto her body, leaving the room and going to Fred and George's bedroom. Taking a deep breath, she slipped her hand into her pocket in case she needed her wand, and unlocked the door, barging into the room and shutting the door behind her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Fred shouted at her in shock, jumping back and releasing the serpent he'd been holding.

"Basari, no!" Estella commanded. "Come to Missstress!" She looked over at the two angrily. "What do you think _you're_ doing?" she demanded of them. "You've injured one of my serpents!"

"We were minding our own business!" George retorted just as heatedly, "and we found that you really _are_ keeping serpents under our beds!"

Fred jumped up and glared at her. "You can't just come into our room like that!"

Ginny glared back at him in fury. "You injured Basari! I am her mistress, and I protect mine!"

The door banged open and Ron came in, scowling. "What's going on in here?" he joined in the shouting. His eyes opened wide at the sight of his sister holding a snake. "Ginny, what are you doing?" he snapped at her. "She isn't threatening you, is she?" Ron asked Fred and George. "Mum would _kill_ her."

Several of the bitemates slithered into the brothers' vision before Estella could stop them. "The _hisssusss_ will not hurt the missstress!" Levir hissed at Ron.

Ron gaped at Ginny's basilisks, then backed out of the room and slammed the door, his footsteps running away from them down the stairs. "Mother!" he cried, sounding terrified. "Mother, Ginny's got more snakes! Mum!"

Ginny turned to look at the twins, her heart pounding. She darted for the door, her face pale, and held Basari close to her as she wrenched the door open with her other hand and ran for her room. "Basari, hide," she hissed frantically. "I will come back to you and get you help. I'm sssorry."

Footsteps were coming up the stairs, and by the time the serpents were all out of sight, Ginny barely turned from their hiding places to see Molly throw the door open, her wand out.

" _What_ _is the meaning of THIS_?" Molly Weasley demanded angrily, glaring at the girl and pointing at Ron, who stood out on the landing, trembling. "What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything," Ginny whispered, terror flooding over herself. "He only saw my bitemates and ran off."

"How many of them do you have?" Molly demanded. "You only had the one—"

"I rescued them all from the tombs," Ginny said, sitting down on the bed, a lump in her throat. "There are seventeen."

Molly gaped at her. "Show them to me," she ordered the girl.

Estella hissed a command, and her bitemates all came out of her robes again, remaining on their mistress's body. "They obey me," she said. "I am their mistress."

"You ordered them to frighten your brother!" Molly said angrily. "I've told you, Ginevra; I will not allow this kind of behaviour from you! You will have to get rid of them."

"I won't!" shouted Estella, jumping to her feet. "They are _mine_! They are the only creatures in the world who understand me, and I will not give them up!"

Molly waved her wand, and Estella shrieked as her bitemates were torn from her, landing behind her on the bed. "No!" she screamed, her own wand in her hand. "I won't get rid of them. I am responsible for them!"

The hissing of the bitemates grew louder, and Molly locked the bedroom door behind her. "You are not leaving this room for anything less than absolutely necessary until you learn to obey me," she snapped at the girl.

The bitemates were returning to her, and they all remained visible on the outside of her robes. "I haven't disobeyed," Ginny cried. "I haven't done anything wrong! I had to look after them because there was no one else! No one else can speak to them!"

"You were only supposed to have the one, but not even that one!" Molly said, her face red. "You cannot have _seventeen serpents IN MY HOUSE_!" She shouted her last few words, her wand hand very firm. "Something has to be done about your disobedience, Ginevra. I will speak to your father when he arrives home." She whirled and left the room.

"No," sobbed Ginny without tears, collapsing onto the bed. "No, I won't. I won't do any of it. You're mine," she hissed to her bitemates, and they all gathered around her except Basari, not speaking.

"Missstress," hissed Basari. "Missstress mussst help."

"I'm sorry," choked Ginny, lifting the small basilisk into her lap. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I'm so sorry!"

The bitemates tried their best to reassure her, but Ginny wasn't reassured. She got up, grasping her wand and closing her eyes. " **Expecto Patronum** ," she whispered after a moment. She had to try the spell several times before it worked, but finally, her Basilisk Patronus lay coiled before her, ready for her orders.

Estella took a deep breath and said, "Jonathan—sir—one of my bitemates has been injured. I think she was hit by something that exploded in the twins' room. She's got to have help—" two tears ran down her cheeks as she struggled to continue "I don't know what to do. I'm not allowed to leave my room—"

Icythan tasted the skin of her neck with his tongue and hissed, "Missstress mussst allow the bitematesss to take hurt bitemate down to older Parssselmouth. Missstress does not need to go down. She can ssspeak through the bitematesss."

"Some of the bitemates will be able to meet you outside the house, in the orchard, possibly, if you come," Ginny continued, brushing her hair out of her eyes as she instructed the Patronus. "The injured one will be with them: Mrs. Weasley's furious that I have seventeen serpents here, so I'm stuck in my room for a long time. Please, please help Basari: she really is injured."

The Patronus left the room, and Ginny sank back down onto the bed, stroking Basari very gently to see if she could find out what was wrong. She found a couple scales that were slightly out of place, and bit her lip, not wanting to hurt her serpent.

Finally, Estella heard someone hiss her name, and turned to see someone on a broomstick coming toward her window. Quickly stepping toward the window, she yanked the window open and the person flew through it, landing in her bedroom. "Hello?" she said uncertainly.

The boy threw back his hood and gave her a small grin before saying, "You have an injured basilisk, Stel?"

Estella nodded. "Basari," she said to Corin. "Take her and go. You cannot stay here. If Molly catches us—" she shuddered "oh, just go, please, and thank you so much, Corin."

He gave her a small smile, then took Basari onto his arm and flew out the window. Estella watched him fly away into the sky and sighed, knowing that Basari was going to get the best care possible.

Greatly concerned, Ginny sat down at her desk and continued her letter to her Charleston cousins. She told them what had just happened, explaining that the Weasley twins were getting revenge for her Quidditch betrayal. "They could have been decent about it," she wrote angrily, "but I guess betrayal has a steep price. I should probably not do that again unless Fred and George are gone from school, or I refuse to associate with Gryffindor anymore."

She bit her lip after she'd sealed and curse-warded her letter against anyone but Brianna or Samantha opening it. She couldn't send her letter until Percy arrived home, because she usually used his owl. Sighing, Ginny hid her envelope until she would be able to send it.

Soon enough, she saw her father and her brother Percy appear in the backyard, heading for the house, Percy talking excitedly. Ginny smiled as his enthusiasm, then turned toward the door of her room, wanting to go down to see them. Biting her lip again, she turned from the window, stroking Lises carefully.

Moments later, she heard Molly raise her voice downstairs, and heard Ron join in. Ginny reached up and rubbed the side of her face tiredly, wishing Molly would just broom her and get it over with. A sudden memory hit her, and she grasped a shelf on the wall to keep herself upright.

 _When she was about four, she'd been annoying Ron, and Molly had taken the broom to her. Little Ginny had consequently lost control of her child magic and hit her brother Percy in the chest. Percy had been in St. Mungo's for almost two days, and Ginny had been scared of him when he'd come back home. He had not been angry, but the two had avoided each other for a long time._

"Percy," Estella breathed. "I didn't know I hurt him, too! I would have hated me when I was little, but he—he was so protective of me, and I hurt him. Percy!"

"Ginny?" her door opened, and Arthur stood in the doorway, glancing around the room before stepping inside. To his chagrin, she burst into tears. "Ginny," he said softly, coming over to her and slipping his arms around her, "Ginny, it's going to be all right."

The small red-haired girl clung to her father tightly. "You told me that after I put Percy in St. Mungo's a long time ago," she choked. "Dad, I'm sorry."

He sighed, hugging her close. "It isn't your fault," he told her softly. "And do you also remember that I told you Percy is not upset with you about that?"

"Yeah," Ginny sniffled, aching as she remembered the fears of her four year old self. "Did Mum tell you...?" She let her voice trail off, turning her face away from her father.

"She did," Arthur replied, his voice still calm and quiet. "Shall we sit down and talk about it?" Ginny nodded, and the two sat down on her bed, Ginny pulling her old, worn teddy bear closer. Her father looked surprised. "You haven't slept with that bear since you were three or four years old," he said. "I haven't seen it for a long time. Where has it been?"

"It's been up in my closet," Ginny answered, brushing her stupid, emotional tears away. "I just remembered that I had one, so I looked for it and got it out. I've been hiding it: I don't want the boys or Mum to know I've been sleeping with it again."

"All right," Arthur nodded. "Now, Ginny, do you really have seventeen serpents here in the house?"

Ginny hissed a command, and her bitemates slithered to the outside of her robes, regarding the red-haired man and hissing. "There are seventeen in all, but I only have fourteen on me," she answered, touching Icythan at her neck. "Fred and George hurt one of them, Basari, so I sent her away to my friends to be healed. I didn't set them on Ron, Dad; I promise. Ron just spotted them and ran out of the room. I have told them they aren't to hurt anyone here in the house—" she sighed, almost rolling her eyes "even Mum is safe."

Arthur chuckled. "Will they obey you?" he asked.

All the bitemates raised their heads from resting and hissed, "Alwaysss obey Missstress!"

"And protect Missstress!" Lises answered, hissing contently as she rewarded his words with gentle strokes along his scales.

"They said that they will always obey me, for I am their mistress," Ginny answered, looking straight into her father's eyes. "Lises says that they must protect me as well. I have told them that I do not want them to kill, Dad. These serpents can control the amount of venom in their bite, and also, whether to kill, stun, or cause terrible pain in a victim."

"Does your mother know the serpents can do that?" Arthur asked his daughter.

"No," she said bitterly. "She doesn't care about what I know about the serpents, and what they can do. She only thinks that I threatened Ron, and she won't listen to _anything_ I have to say. Mum never has. She probably thinks I'm a terrible daughter, or something, or maybe having six sons made her completely forget anything she ever knew about raising a little girl—an innocent little girl."

He slipped his arm around her again. "Ginny, sweetling," he said softly, and her eyes filled with unwanted tears. "What is wrong? You seem to be upset so much since you came home from school. Did something happen that upset you?"

She buried her face in his robe. "You called me sweetling when I first came here," she choked. "You were the only thing that calmed me down—my—I was called sweetling before—" A realization that she'd just majorly slipped up came over her, but she continued to cling to Arthur, unmoving, and not showing her face.

"Ginny," he said, sounding very, very strange, "are your memories coming back?"

She jerked slightly, then looked up into his face. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to sound confused.

He sighed, then grasped her in a hug. "I love you," he whispered in her ear. "You know that, don't you?" Ginny nodded against his chest, and he continued, "I'm sorry that your younger childhood was so difficult and filled with trouble and problems. If I had a chance, I would do it differently."

Ginny looked up at him, then threw her arms around him, hugging him fiercely. "I—I don't blame you," she said quietly. "You could hardly help it: you've almost always been working when something happens. But you've always loved me, and you—you comfort me. Like you're doing now. Thanks, Dad."

Arthur gave her another squeeze, then released her and got to his feet. "The serpents will remain with you," he said, "but Molly will hold you responsible for anything they do, including scaring her by showing up in her cupboards. You probably don't want to risk it."

"No," Ginny agreed, shaking her head. "Oh, thank you, Dad. I couldn't get rid of them: I _am_ responsible for them already!" She bit her lip. "I love you," she whispered.

"Love you too," he responded, and she hurried over to her desk.

"Um, could you give this letter to Percy so he can send it to my cousins?" she asked him.

"Well, why don't you give it to him at dinner?" Arthur said. "Come downstairs with me, and you can stay close by until it's time to eat. I'll make sure you sit right beside him."

Ginny gave him a broad smile. "Oh, thank you!" she said happily, and he smiled slightly, then led her from the room. She sat down on the couch in the living room, relief washing over her, and the bitemates clamoured excitedly that none of them would be leaving her. They also reported to their mistress that Basari had been healed, fed, and was now sleeping in cozy warmth, next to the nestmate of the boy who had brought her to the serpent-healer.

She breathed a small sigh, leaning against her father's arm, and remained there quietly, her letter safe in her pocket, until it was time for supper. Ginny took a seat beside Percy, around the corner of the table from her father. She did not speak during the meal, but tried to be as notice-me-not as possible.

When Percy got up to go to his room, Ginny followed him quietly, making sure not to draw the others' attention to herself. He turned to her on the landing to his room, and she pulled her letter out of her pocket, biting her lip. "All right," he said. "To whom?"

"Brianna and Samantha Charleston," she answered quickly. "It's already sealed, and curse-warded, so don't try to open it. Thanks, Percy."

"You're welcome," he said quietly. "Now, Ginny, I've modified the wards on my room so no one can enter it without my magical permission when you're in here. You'll be able to come in even when I'm not here."

"Oh," she began, then tilted her head slightly. "If you're not home, and I come in here, no one will be able to come in after me?"

"Exactly," Percy nodded with a grin. "Do you want to come send your letter off?"

Ginny looked a little uncomfortable. "I think I should go back to my room," she replied. "Mum told me not to come out for anything less than absolutely necessary, and Dad escorted me downstairs to supper. Thanks, though. I'll see you around." She headed back toward the stairs and her room, wanting to get ready for bed and sleep. She did not want to face Fred and George any time soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Arabelle Sage was assigned by her father to care for Basari while the basilisk remained at their home. The fair-haired girl curled up on her bed with the Parkington basilisk the night after her brother had brought her home to them, and asked Basari if her mistress was awake.

After a moment, Basari hissed, "Missstress wasss asleep, but she isss awake at your request."

"I didn't mean for her to be awaken if she wasss asleep," Aria said. "I didn't mean to disturb her, but I wanted to talk to her when the other Weasleys weren't around."

"Missstress remembers her ssstay at the home of the littlest Parssselmouth," Basari told Aria. "She isss awake and wantsss to talk, if the littlest one does."

"Oh." Aria nodded, then asked, "Is she okay? Her Fox sounded quite panicked."

Basari replied for Estella, "Missstress says she wasss upset and worried. The _sheisss_ mother found the bitematesss when the _hisssusss_ with the double magic hurt Basari. Missstress says she wasss desperate for help."

Arabelle smiled in understanding. "Did you tell your missstress that you are well?" she asked the serpent. "Or at least, better than you were?"

"Yesss," hissed Basari happily. "Missstress saysss unless she can meet the other Parselmouthsss herssself, it would be better to wait for ssschool time to return the bitemate to her."

"Won't you miss her?" Aria asked Basari in astonishment. "And won't she want you to come back to her as soon as possible?"

"It's all what is safest," Basari insisted. "Safest for Missstress in the home of the _sheisss_."

"We'll have to do something," Arabelle said, more to herself than to the basilisk. "Goodnight, Stel. Sleep well."

Back in her room at the Burrow, Estella shook her head, her bitemates coiled and curled around her. "You too, Aria," she replied, then snuggled into her blanket with her teddy bear and went to sleep.

* * *

The fourteen year old heir of the House of Malfoy was awakened by a house-elf, which he consequently bashed in the face with his pillow, knocking it down. The elf squeaked, backing away, and said, "Mistress wishes her son to join her in the drawing room within fifteen minutes. Mistress said she does not wish to have to come get young master Draco."

"Fine, fine," the blonde boy mumbled, turning away from the elf and pulling his comforter over his head. "Go away."

The elf disapparated, and Draco sighed to himself, yawning and stretching slightly before he sat up, pushing the comforter away from himself. He got out of bed and half stumbled over to his wardrobe, thinking that he should have kept the elf in the room so he wouldn't have had to get out of bed so quickly. The boy selected a decent, dark green robe and dressed quickly, making sure his robe didn't have any wrinkles and hung just right.

Toying with the idea of calling the elf back to make it put on his shoes, Draco turned and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror on his wall. He ran his fingers through his mussed up hair, but it refused to stay where he wanted it. Muttering to himself in annoyance, he walked over to his dresser and rummaged through drawers until he located his comb.

It wasn't until he was nearly finished combing his hair that his sleepy brain registered that he could have Summoned the comb with his wand instead of looking for it like some stupid Muggle. He raised an eyebrow and smirked at himself, glad he hadn't done something so stupid at Hogwarts.

Ten minutes after the house-elf had awakened him, Draco Malfoy left his room, walking from the comfortable wing of Malfoy Manor into the company wing. He knocked once at the drawing room door, then entered without waiting for a reply, knowing they had no visitors at the time.

The boy was surprised to see that both his father and his mother were seated in the drawing room, waiting on him, he guessed. "You wanted to see me, Mother?"

"Have a seat, Draco," Narcissa told him, her hands motionless on her lap.

After the blonde boy had sat down, his father regarded him carefully. "As you know, Draco," he began smoothly, "we will be taking a small vacation at the end of this month and the beginning of August."

Draco agreed, and his mother looked over at Lucius before turning back to her son. "We will have a fourth person joining us," Narcissa continued, "if all goes as planned."

"Who?" Draco asked without hesitation, thinking with distaste of some business acquaintance of his father's.

"Estella Parkington," Narcissa replied softly.

"No!" Draco gasped, his cool demeanor completely melting for a moment. "You've got to be joking!" He stared from his mother to his father, and back again. "You're not joking," he said incredulously. "How is _that_ going to work?"

Lucius Malfoy smiled.

* * *

Days later, Ginny received nearly half a dozen letters from her friends in one week. The Charleston twins wrote, as did Megan and her Sage cousins. The problem with this sudden influx of letters was that Molly intercepted them and kept them from Ginny for two days before finally bringing it up one evening after her father had come home from work.

"You have no right to intercept Owl Post that is coming to me!" said Ginny sharply, annoyed. "These are _my_ friends, writing letters to _me_!"

"Who are these boys?" demanded Molly, holding up two other letters.

"Who does it say they are?" Ginny said in exasperation. "We don't write in code, Mum!"

Molly shoved the letters under Ginny's nose. "Meris _Lestrange_? Karnt and Ro _Lestrange_?" she said very shrilly, and Arthur looked at Ginny in slight alarm. The red-haired woman looked straight down at Ginny. "Do you know who they are?"

Ginny nodded. "They started Hogwarts last year," she said. "They're cousins, and the two on the one letter are the twin sons of Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange. Meris is Rabastan's son. I became friends with them during this last year—I mean, friends with the boys at school."

Fred and George laughed, and Percy gave them a slightly amused look. "Meris seems like a very decent boy, Mother," Percy told her. "He's been very good to Ginny: I kept an eye on him because I knew he'd been talking to her."

"Do you understand who these boys are?" Molly demanded of Ginny. "What about the twins? What are they like? And are they all Slytherins, like your other 'friends'?"

"The Lestrange twins came to school after Christmas break," Ginny replied, biting her lip. "Their guardians didn't want them to be the center of attention for their Sorting, and sent them later, and yes, all three boys are Slytherins. I don't really know the twins that well because I didn't see them very much. They do stick around with their cousin a lot, though, and they seem to like me. We've spent afternoons out by the lake together with my bitemates. The twins don't like my serpents, but Meris really doesn't mind them."

"And you're comfortable around these boys?" Arthur asked her.

Ginny smiled. "Yeah," she answered. "Mum, Dad, they're eleven—well, Meris is twelve, I guess—and they don't know their parents, for the most part. The twins, Karntaan and Rohan, were actually born in Azkaban."

Ron gaped at her. "They _were_?"

Ginny nodded, grinning. "Yes. And they don't even know the exact day they were born because it wasn't known that they'd been born until some days later. They were found in their mother's cell. And to top it all off, Meris was born on the exact night of the Accident."

"The...what?" Ron said.

"The night of the Dark Lord's initial defeat is known as 'The Accident' by some," Ginny replied. "Meris was born that night."

The Weasley twins gawked at her. "Special, aren't they?"

"What a legacy," Fred commented. "Are those twins kind of like the Charleston twins, or kind of like us?"

"Well, they're not really like any of you," Ginny said slowly. "They're more even tempered than the Charlestons, and I don't think they prank anyone. And Karnt doesn't give a care about Draco. It gives me great pleasure to see Draco get pushed around by someone two years younger than himself. He seems almost...wary of his Lestrange cousins." Ginny giggled to herself, amused by her own words.

"Wait," Ron said in amusement. "These Lestranges bully little Malfoy? Wow! Have them teach you how to get away with that! I want to know!"

"I doubt it can be taught," Ginny shrugged, "but it's probably because their mothers are sisters. Or maybe Draco doesn't know how to deal with them since he's never known any of their family."

"You have a habit of calling the Malfoy boy by his first name?" Arthur said in surprise.

Molly frowned at Ginny. "How much do you talk to your Slytherin friends?" she said, sounding like she forced herself to say the words.

Ginny reached down and touched the serpent on her wrist. "Most of my friends are Slytherins, Mum, which is to say: I speak to them all the time."

Ron stared at the red-haired girl. "You talk to Malfoy? Ginny!"

 _She's danced with him_ , came Tom's thought into her mind, and Ginny burst out laughing before she could stop herself.

"Um, no," she giggled in answer to Ron. "he's talked to my friends, and commented about me, but we don't talk. Somebody constructed a wall between us." Ginny rolled her eyes. "He kind of avoids talking to me, thank goodness."

"So you've actually been down to the Slytherin Common Room?" Percy asked in astonishment, and the twins shared a subtle, knowing smirk. Their older brother knew _very_ well that Estella had been down to the dungeons many times in the last year.

"Um, yeah," Ginny muttered. "Several times, actually."

"Ginny!" Molly said in horror.

Arthur chuckled. "And they let you live?"

The boys all raised their eyebrows at their dad, and Ginny laughed. "Looks that way," she told them all. "And, as long as you don't harass anyone and mind your own business, they generally leave you alone."

Fred snorted. "And a Weasley in the dungeons doesn't bother them? Ha!"

"As long as you're not a judgmental moron, yes," Ginny told him with a glare. "You know, we really aren't much different from them. We don't know how to accept those who are different." She turned and walked away, ending the conversation.

Up in her room, Ginny grinned at the boys' signatures on the parchments, pleased that they had remembered her. She opened the twins' letter first, wondering what they might have written to her.

 _Ginevra:_

 _Jase can't wait until he gets to Hogwarts. He wants to see you with seventeen serpents like we told him. He doesn't believe us, I don't think. This is Karntaan, by the way. Jase thinks we're exaggerating, especially when we said you came out of a sound sleep and performed not only those warming charms, but also a corporeal Patronus to protect us from further effects of those dementors._

 _Jason's got two more years to wait before he'll be starting Hogwarts. He's not impressed, but we told him to blame it on his mama._

 _Anyway, we thought of something that might interest you (this is Ro now). We heard that your brothers created some joke items, and wondered how available they're going to be for those like us. Obviously, if we're caught buying things from the Weasleys, there will most likely be problems._

 _What if you were kind of the middle ground between them and us? All of us know of your dungeon explorations. You could be the Slytherin go-to for the Weasley twins' products. Honestly, Ginevra, anyone who could turn Draco into a kangaroo—they've got our business. We're all for making Malfoys into monkeys. Do those Weasleys have anything that will turn Draco into a monkey?_

 _He might look weird as a blonde monkey. Don't think I've seen one of those (Karnt here). Just make sure it isn't permanent—but I'm sure your brothers wouldn't do that. Would they?_

 _Anyway, have a chat about it with them and let us know. We're really curious for what they've come up with, but we don't want_ anything _to do with that nail polish. I have no idea why you let those Charlestons have those_ prototypes _, as they call them. Samantha already spouts flame without it coming from her nails. She doesn't need anymore fire._

 _We might write again later in the summer. We're kind of bored, but not really. Things are really stirred up around here: there's been some unrest in Jase's family, and we've had visitors. Be careful, Ginny; things are happening._

 _Your friends,_

 _Karntaan Lestrange_

 _Rohan Lestrange_

Estella looked up from the Lestranges' letter and smiled. Of course she could be the Slytherin outlet for Fred and George's Wheezes products! It was such a clever idea she wished she'd thought of it herself! She would speak to her brothers about it eventually, but first, she was going to think it over and decide how she should approach the subject with them.

She opened Meris' letter carefully, very happy that he had remembered to write her.

 _Dear Ginny,_

 _I refuse to start this letter by asking you how you are: I already know. Corin told me. Remember what I told you just before we got off the train? Mum always tells me that courage and a stubborn will can bring you through anything. It's been a pretty good rule for me, especially with her encouragement._

 _It's really nice to be away from everyone's prying eyes. It isn't easy to be an inconspicuous Lestrange at Hogwarts. After Karnt and Ro got there, it was even harder to go unnoticed. With the three of us being in the same year, we go nearly everywhere together—and I guess it is nicer, since we're all shadowed under the same cloud._

 _At least at home, no one points at me and mutters about how my father is partially responsible for the destruction of certain innocent people. Mum and I rarely talk about dad. I've never known him. You've been lucky to have a father figure, Ginny. Don't ever think family doesn't mean anything: when you're young, it means basically everything to you._

 _You know how we were talking about our parents at school? I asked my mum about what you said about dad, and she told me you were probably right. Then she kind of brushed off the rest of my question and sent me to bed. My mother is awesome, Ginny. I wish you could really meet her, or visit us, or something, but I know that probably won't happen while you remain at the Burrow._

Ginny rolled her eyes and read the rest of the letter before folding it and putting it back in the envelope. It was highly unlikely that she would meet any of her school friends again until the new school year began.

* * *

The beginning of the last week in July, the Weasley parents sat down in the living room with their children. "Today at the Ministry," Arthur began with a smile, "I was approached by an old friend who has some extra tickets to the Quidditch World Cup." Exclamations escaped Ron and the twins, but their father held up his hand for silence. "He offered them to me." Arthur held up an envelope. "I've got them here, along with the traveling instructions."

The younger boys gaped at each other, and Percy grinned happily. Ginny was shocked, then joined in the celebration, bouncing up and down from her seat on the floor. "That isn't all," Molly said, smiling. "Bill and Charlie will be joining us in two weeks and will be attending the Cup as well."

"Yes!" Ginny shrieked happily, jumping to her feet and dancing around the living before hugging Percy tightly. Percy laughed, his arm around her back, almost as excited for his brothers' arrival as she was.

"And, Ron," Arthur said, sounding as if he'd just remembered something, "you'll need to write Harry that we'll be picking him up. Also, you'll need to write Hermione to meet us somewhere for pick-up. They will be joining us for the last two weeks of the summer, if they can."

Ginny's heart sank as she heard her dad's words, and she felt Percy squeeze her gently. She leaned closer to her brother as if she were trying to disappear into his side, and he gave her a little shake, making her look up. Her father was crossing the room, and he looked at her, saying, "Ginny, would you join me in the workshop for a minute?"

Percy released her, and she walked across the room, following her father into the garage. He took a seat next to his work table and Ginny dragged a wooden stool over, climbing up to sit on it. "Yeah?" she asked, her mouth dry. She could feel the serpents stirring, as they did every time she was alone with one of the Weasley adults. The basilisks really did not approve of her adopted parents.

"Are you okay with having Harry and Hermione visit?" Arthur asked her.

"Why are you asking me?" Ginny answered, looking down at her hands in her lap. "It isn't my choice, but everyone else is clearly for it."

"Do you not get along with them?" Arthur said in concern.

Ginny glanced up at him, then sighed. "I do, but they're not my friends, Dad. They're Ron's friends. Mum won't allow any of my other best friends to come to our home, and I wouldn't invite Brianna and Samantha back, either."

Arthur nodded, then asked after a moment, "Did they say anything to you about their visit here?"

She shook her head. "I didn't ask, and they didn't say anything. But I know they've changed too much to be considered mild enough to visit again," she sighed. "It's okay, Dad. I'll be all right."

He considered her a moment, a small grin touching the corners of his mouth. "Today is Friday," he said quietly. "On Monday, you will be going to work with me." She looked surprised, and he continued, "So, Ginny, on Sunday night, I expect you to have your trunk packed as if you're going to have an extended sleepover."

"What's going on?" Ginny asked cautiously.

"I think you deserve a vacation before everyone arrives here at the Burrow," Arthur told her, standing up and coming over to his daughter. "Make sure you pack some warm clothes, and I'm not joking about any of this, Ginny. I mean it."

Ginny jumped up and gave her father a firm hug. "Okay. Thanks, Dad," she whispered, then hurried out of the room, her mind racing.

* * *

 _Tom,_ Estella breathed as she lay curled up in her bed, her teddy bear clutched tightly in her arms. _Tom, are you awake?_

A minute or two later, Tom answered, _Yes, Stel, I'm here._

 _Did you hear what Dad said?_ she asked him thoughtfully.

 _Yes,_ Tom replied. _Probably the Charleston house, as always. The Weasleys don't have any idea that you've been to the houses of lots of your cousins, though. Do you think you're going to end up at any summer get-togethers?_

 _I don't know_ , Ginny sighed. _Tom, could you come to me, please? My room is warded against intruders._

Tom apparated into the room several minutes later, smoothing his robes before he came to sit on the edge of Ginny's bed. "Why do you think you're packing a trunk if not to go to a friend's house? And, if Molly doesn't know, then it's almost certain that it's going to be one of your real cousins that you stay with, Ginny."

Ginny sighed again, stroking one of the basilisks. "I'm just hoping that if she doesn't know, she won't find out. And I don't want this to be purely my hoping that I'll be able to get out of here. What are the chances that I'll actually be able to escape the Burrow for a day or two? Not very high, Tom."

Tom smiled. "At least you'll have that long, possibly," he replied encouragingly. "By the way: you did very well defending your friendship with Draco and the Lestrange boys. It was very believable."

"Thanks," Ginny blushed, then pushed back the cover slightly. "Stay with me, Tom? Like old times? I mean, it wasn't _that_ long ago."

"Ginny," Tom said softly, "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"What do you mean?" Ginny demanded. "My room is sight, sound, and entrance warded. There's no way you could be seen unless you danced out into the hall for some stupid reason!"

"No, Ginny Love," Tom replied, reaching out and grasping her shoulder slightly before drawing back. "It's just that—well, I'm fully human now, and I'm a seventeen year old boy. You're almost thirteen, Ginny, and I don't think it's wise for us to have sleepovers."

Ginny's face turned even more pink, and Tom reached over, brushing her hair away from her eyes. "Oh," she said. "Sorry. I still think that's not a very good excuse, Tom. You're only Percy's age."

Tom shook his head at her. "It's necessary for one of us to be responsible," he told her. "When you're seventeen, as I am now, you become legally responsible for everything you do at that age. You'll understand better as your other brothers grow into that age. You can get away with basically anything short of murder while underaged."

Ginny raised an eyebrow, and Tom shook his head. "No, I'm not a murderer, Parkington. I'll see you later." He got up, leaned down and kissed her forehead, then disapparated from her room.

The girl snuggled up in her blankets and fell asleep.

* * *

As her father had told her, Ginny packed her trunk Sunday night so that she would be ready if indeed he wished to take her with him. A knock came at her door early in the morning, and he whispered her name, letting her know it was he. She allowed him in as she shrank her trunk and put it in her pocket.

"Did you pack warm clothes?" he asked her, and she nodded. "Good. Come on, now. Molly's gone to check on something in our room, so let's go."

"All right," she answered, and followed him quickly and silently, the two heading down the stairs. Ginny and her father walked out of the house, her taking his offered hand and holding it firmly as he disapparated.

The two appeared in the main hall of the Ministry, and Arthur quickly led Ginny through the golden gates and onto one of the lifts. She stood close to him as he commented to some of his co-workers about something or other that had happened the previous week. They arrived on the level where her dad's office was, and she remembered (to her horror) that the Auror Office was located on the same level.

Ginny walked past the entrance to the Auror Office without looking through the doorway. She walked into her father's office, greeted Perkins politely, and sat down in the corner to be inconspicuous until she was needed or ordered to do something.

Several moments later, a note sailed into the office, straight to Arthur. After he'd read it, he told Ginny, "Go freshen up and get ready to leave. There's a restroom just down the hall, on the opposite side from the Auror Office. Your pick-up is on her way."

The redhead got up and hurried off down the hall to the restroom. She washed her face a little, making sure all signs of her breakfast were gone. Ginny made sure she had her wand in one pocket and her lightweight, tiny trunk in her other robe pocket. When she'd checked that she had everything in order, she left the bathroom, heading back toward her dad's office.

To her shock, as she passed the entrance to the Auror Office, she heard a familiar voice say, "Ooh, look! There's the girl whose Patronus interrupted us the other day."

Glancing up, Ginny saw Nymphadora Tonks standing on one side of the entrance, a rough and tough-looking Auror standing on the other side. Looking down the hall, she continued back toward her father, but the second Auror stopped her with a single command.

"Were you the brat who sent a Patronus to Auror Tonks while she was on duty?" demanded the man, glaring down at her.

"I warned her about something," Ginny replied. "By the way, Dora, did you check the mirror this morning?"

"No," Tonks grinned, ruffling her hair before she morphed it short and brown from the blonde it had been. "I overslept, and Mum woke me up." Tonks chuckled to herself. "I have something to tell you later."

Ginny couldn't help but grin back. "Send me a Patronus," she teased. "And for the sake of the world, check your mirror every morning?"

Tonks laughed, then snapped her a two-fingered salute and walked away into the Office. Ginny escaped down the hall before the man could say anything else to her. She'd just realized that the man's name was Scrimgeour: he was Head of the Auror Office.

When Ginny got back to her dad's office, relieved that she'd escaped the two Aurors, she saw the Charlestons' mother, Naridia. "Hello," she said, a little shyly.

"Hi, Ginny dear," Naridia answered, sounding formal.

"Do you have everything?" Arthur asked Ginny seriously. She nodded, and he came out from behind the desk to hug her.

"Thanks," she told him breathlessly as she squeezed him tightly. "You're the best, Dad. I love you." He smiled a little, then released her, and watched Naridia Charleston lead Ginny from the room.

Ginny and Naridia continued past the Auror Office and got onto the lift without speaking, heading down to the main hall. Once they were off the lift, Naridia warned Ginny to remain as still and close as possible, then caught up her hand and disapparated to just outside the Charleston house.

Naridia led the young girl into the house, where she was immediately pounced on by Brianna and Samantha, who both hugged their friend. "Take her to her room for the night," Naridia told her daughters. "Don't unpack too much, Estella, because we'll be going somewhere else tomorrow night."

"Okay," the three girls chorused, and walked off together to the twins' room.

"Hair," said Samantha, pointing at Ginny the instant they walked into the room. "Red is unacceptable."

"Fine." Ginny rolled her eyes, then tossed her head, taking the charm off her hair wandlessly. Her long, dark hair fell down her back in waves, and Estella Parkington smirked. She fell onto one of the beds and sighed in relief. "Escape."

Brianna flopped down beside her and asked, "So how's your summer been so far?"

Estella turned onto her back and brushed her hair across her face. "Don't talk to me; don't notice me—or the seventeen basilisks that I'm hiding from the world. Don't—"

"Did you bring all of them?" Samantha asked quickly.

"No," Estella answered. "I've just got seven, and I ordered the rest to stay out of sight as if they were all gone from the house as well. Basari is at Corin's house: she was injured by an explosion Fred and George caused. The twins are beginning to create more joke items, I think. They announced two new ones just before they left school last year."

"Oh," Brianna grinned. "Great! What are they?"

"Rodent Rocks, and Monkey Munches," Ginny laughed. "So you could become a monkey, and the rocks will turn you into whatever rodent you are most like."

Samantha shook her head, but Brianna continued smiling. "Have you tested them?"

Ginny grinned and brushed her hair out of her face again. "Just the monkey one. It was kind of nasty, at least for me. I don't like being a monkey. I'd rather be that cat you made me into at the Shrieking Shack."

"Oooh," said Samantha. "About that—"

"No one can know about that," Brianna told her cousin. "Anything of what happened there should not be discussed with anyone besides us."

"Of course," Ginny answered, then sat up as the door opened.

The twins' mother walked into the room and announced, "Lunch will be served at noon, but your Aunt V. is coming here for tea at 10 o' clock. You need not attend that, but may take your own morning tea up here if you wish."

Brianna and Samantha agreed, then turned to Estella once their mother had left the room. "Megan's mother, Viola Sage, is our mother's little sister," Brianna explained to Estella. "Once upon a time, they both belonged to the Thurst family."

"Don't they still?" Ginny frowned.

"Well, when a young woman from a great House is married, she ceases to be part of her father's House, and becomes a part of her husband's House," Samantha answered, then rolled her eyes. "At least, it's supposed to work that way. Some women don't conform, and try to take over. You'll probably be like that, Stel."

"No," Ginny shook her head fiercely. "Families are disasters when women are in charge. Believe me: I've suffered this all my life."

Brianna was surprised. "You would just become a submissive little _sheep_ to whatever—"

Estella frowned at the older twin. "I didn't say I wouldn't have an opinion," she sighed. "I mean: I would uphold the standards of another family, if it accepted me into it. I would not try to change their standards, but I would hope that I could discuss matters with them."

Samantha rolled her eyes at the other two girls. "Not likely," she said drily. "Standards are pretty well set in every family."

"No," Estella groaned. "I didn't mean I would try to change the opinions, or have them make an exception for me! I was trying to say that...I would want to be able to talk about it—for me to understand the why and how of the standards! Mrrph!"

Estella threw herself face-down on the bed, muttering to herself in Parseltongue. She turned over, pointed her finger at the ceiling and said a very long-sounding sentence loudly.

The twins looked at each other uncomfortably as the bitemates hissed, slithering over their mistress. "Um, Estella, you know we didn't understand that, don't you?" Brianna asked hesitantly.

"But I did!" The door burst open and Megan strolled in, tossing her red hair over her shoulder. "I know you weren't expecting me to come, but Mum decided I should at the last minute." Megan walked over and stood in front of Estella, looking down at her. "You should be really careful what you say, even in Parseltongue."

"There was no one here!" Estella protested, looking up at her friend. "Honest!"

"No, but it's going to get dangerous soon," Megan told her Parkington cousin. "My father told me that—that the Dark Lord might be returning soon."

The twins stared at Megan, but Estella closed her eyes and bit her lip. "Stel, are you all right?" Brianna asked after a moment, touching Estella's wrist.

Teneski peeked out from under Estella's sleeve. "Missstress worriesss that she isss to blame for the return of _Sissshausss-a-sissshausss_."

Megan looked shocked. "Estella Parkington! There is no way you could be blamed for anything of the sort! Why do you think that?!"

"I had a dream," Ginny almost whimpered. "I dreamed of the Dark Lord, and I told Dad—my real father about it. He didn't seem to think it was a big deal and sent me off to play with Corin and Meris, but—I'm beginning to think he sees my dream as foretelling the coming of the Dark Lord!"

"No!" Brianna shook her head. "That can't be! There is absolutely no reason why your father should have thought your dream—"

"I dreamed of a place I've never seen, yet I perfectly described it to my father and he confirmed it," Estella interrupted her cousin fiercely. "If it isn't true, then something is very, very wrong with me. I know I'm not responsible, Megan, but I'm certain that my father warned every single one of his old colleagues that were there that day, and perhaps others, as well. If I'm to blame for the preparation of the Dark side, no! Just NO! I don't _want_ to be responsible for that!"

The other three girls looked extremely uncomfortable, and Brianna finally summoned a house-elf and told it to bring them all tea. They remained silent for the most part, handing the tea pitcher back and forth once in a while. Eventually, Megan's mother summoned her downstairs, and the two Sages left. The others returned to the twins' room, where they remained quiet for most of the rest of the day.


	3. Chapter 3

Not that night, but the next, Estella was awakened in the middle of the night by Naridia Charleston shaking her gently. "Estella," she said quietly when the girl opened her eyes, "get up and get dressed. We are going out."

"Where?" mumbled the sleepy girl. "It's...two o' clock in the morning!"

"Yes, dear," Naridia agreed. "We will be leaving soon for another location. Make sure all your things are together in your trunk. We will need to shrink it and take it with us."

Estella sat up, rubbing her eyes, and realized that both Brianna's and Samantha's beds had a Sleeping Ward around them. The twins were both sleeping soundly, and as Estella got out of bed, she asked, "Aren't the twins coming?"

Naridia gave a small shake of her head, and said, "Get ready quickly, Estella. We're on a time constraint. We've got to be sure to get the right time."

"Okay," Estella promised, and quickly dressed, placing her things back into her trunk before shrinking it and sticking the trunk in the pocket of her robe. She stepped out into the hall to find both Charleston parents waiting for her. "Why aren't the twins going?" she asked, a little nervous.

"You'll understand soon enough," Anthony Charleston told her. "We've got to be quick and quiet. Also, there cannot be a lot of us or it will cause suspicion, especially in the middle of the night like this."

"Come along," Naridia ordered, and the three headed outside the house. Anthony held out his right hand to Estella as his wife took hold of his other arm. The man disapparated, and the three appeared on a dark, quiet street. A breeze was blowing, and Estella shivered slightly. Naridia quickly did a wandless Warming Charm on the girl's cloak, then hurried her along the street after Anthony, who was leading the way, wand drawn.

"Where are we?" Estella whispered as she hurried along, glancing at the twins' mother, who also had her wand drawn.

Anthony stopped them in the dark shadows of a building, looking down to what seemed to be a beachfront complete with a huge dock. "We are," he said quietly, "on the tiny island of Malta, between Sicily, south of Italy, and Libya, part of Africa."

Her jaw dropped, and Naridia patted her shoulder. "We're here to meet one of the boats that is coming in tonight," she told Estella. "There are some people you should know—"

An apparition sounded, and two figures appeared, all four of the adults suddenly pointing their wands at the opposite. Estella swallowed hard and shrank back into the shadows, worried about who they might be. After a moment, however, one of the newcomers threw back his hood, and Estella gasped, realizing that it was her real father!

"What are you doing here?!" Naridia hissed at the two. "Don't you understand this is a delicate situation?! How did you find out we were here?"

"We heard you were shipping our daughter off to the Malfoys, and thought we'd come see her off," Meretta replied coldly. She heard her daughter gasp, and said, "Oh, didn't she know where she was going? Or why she was here? Why didn't you tell her, Naridia? Anthony?"

"What's going on?" Ginny asked angrily. "What are you talking about?"

Anthony motioned them all to follow him. "And for goodness' sake, keep quiet and stay out of the light!"

They followed him further out toward the docks until they could see for quite a distance out into the sea. Reginald motioned to something in the sea. "Isn't that the Malfoys' boat?"

Estella's heart was beating very fast, and she sidled closer to her father, feeling very alone and scared. Reginald glanced down at her, then slipped his left arm around her, hugging her to his side as they walked. "Do I have to go with them?" she whispered in Parseltongue.

"No," Reginald answered with a sigh. "But they won't hurt you, Estella."

"They hate me," she whispered, her eyes wide. "They hate who I am, and who my family isss."

"They don't like the Weasleysss, sssweetling, but they don't hate you," he reassured her. "They don't even know you."

"They hate lotsss of people they don't know," Estella said. "And ssso doesss everyone elssse I know."

They stopped a moment as Anthony and Naridia looked for the dock number before leading them all out, warding the dock to make them unseen. Reginald kept his arm around his daughter's shoulders, and she leaned against his side, wanting reassurance that she was safe. He squeezed her slightly, and she gulped, closing her eyes and clinging to him.

Reginald knelt down on the dock, taking his daughter into his arms and cuddling her as he hadn't been able to for ten years. She clung to him desperately, her face hidden in his robe as he rocked her gently. The other adults looked at the two in surprise, and slight disapproval, but neither the girl nor her father looked up.

"Dad—" Estella began, but couldn't speak for a moment "why doesss everyone sssend me away? Why can't I jussst ssstay with the girlsss? No one even asked me if I wanted to ssstay with the Malfoysss!"

"The Charlestonsss have the mossst contact with you, ssso they had to be the onesss to pick you up," her father answered. "Arthur Weasley would never have let you come if he'd known you were joining the Malfoysss in the Mediterranean."

"Everyone sendsss me away," Estella whispered. "Molly makesss me ssstay in my room; Arthur sent me to the Charlestonsss, who sssent me here. What am I going to do? Will the Malfoysss sssend me to someone I don't want to see even worse? My own mother sssent me away—both my mothersss hate me."

Her body shook slightly, and Reginald cuddled her with a sigh. "They don't hate you, Essstella. Molly isss probably afraid of you after what she'sss seen you do to membersss of her family. And Meretta—sssweetling, she doesn't know how to relate to you anymore. You're not her little baby girl anymore; you've grown up without her, and she doesn't know how to deal with it."

Estella looked up at her father, her eyes full of hurt. "But I grew up without you too!" she protested.

"But you had a father," Reginald said very softly. "A very loving father, it soundsss like."

"Yeah," Ginny mumbled, thinking of how her red-haired father had hugged her tightly and apologized for her childhood. "Yeah, he is."

"Your Parssseltongue slipped," her father warned, and she nodded with a little sniffing.

"Dad," she said, biting her lip, "you don't have any serpentsss anymore, do you?"

Reginald shook his head gravely. "No, darling. They all died during the lassst War, and then Tabashi died just a few months ago."

Estella bit her lip slightly. "Um," she began hesitantly, "have you been in contact with the Sagesss recently? Since May or ssso?"

Her father gave her an inquiring look. "I haven't. It'sss too dangerousss, mossst of the time."

"Well, I wasss sssent to Jonathan Sage'sss house to be treated for over-bonding," Estella explained.

"How isss that possible?" Reginald asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Bitematesss!" commanded the girl, and the seven bitemates that were on her slithered to the outside of her robes. "These are ssseven of the ssseventeen bitematesss, offspring of Tabashi."

Her father gaped at her. "That is not possible!" he said sharply.

Icythan faced the second Parselmouth boldly. "Yesss, it isss!" he hissed back at his mistress's sire. "We are the offspring of Tabashi, the ssserpent from the tombsss, and we are the Parkington basilisssks. Tabashi told usss of hisss massster and missstress, but mossst bitematesss have not ssseen them."

"Your Parssseltongue slipped," Estella teased her father quietly. "I removed the bitematesss from the tombsss at Tabashi's requessst, but I did not know at the time that they were yoursss. I'm sssorry—"

"Bless you, child," he whispered, hugging her tightly. "You have no idea the relief thisss knowledge bringsss to my mind."

"I—I wasss hoping you would take two bitematesss with you ssso we could communicate?" Estella said, biting her lip. "I—they're all bonded to me, though."

"No wonder you had to be treated for over-bonding!" Reginald said, looking alarmed. "You could have died, or been severely crippled, at leassst!"

"Will Missstress's sssire take two of usss?" demanded Sadura, staring into the man's face as if challenging him.

He looked at his daughter's hopeful face, then nodded. "If your missstress willsss it," he answered them.

Estella commanded Levir and Lises to join her father, and they happily obeyed, slithering across their mistress's arms and onto Reginald's body. "Obey him," she told them softly. "In everything, even over me."

"Missstress meansss it?" Icythan asked, almost in disapproval.

"Yesss," Estella said, glancing over at the other adults. "I trust him with you."

"The boat is nearly here," Anthony warned Reginald and Estella. "You must be ready to go, Estella."

She nodded, then got to her feet just as Meretta gasped and pointed behind her. Estella took a quick glance and saw a shiny greyish-white shape moving toward them. It wasn't until it got much closer that she realized it was a Patronus: Nymphadora Tonks' Fox Patronus. Estella melted into her father's side, terrified because she knew, out of everyone there, it was probably meant for her. The Charlestons muttered to each other about it being a Patronus just as it approached Estella.

"Ginny!" it said happily. "Or should I address you differently? I have no idea where you are, who you're with, or if you're even awake. Why did I do this again? I told it not to disturb you if you're asleep, so it shouldn't. And if it does, well. Oops. Anyway, I had something to tell you, as I said when I saw you a couple days ago—"

"Who _is_ that?" demanded Meretta, looking upset.

"—at the Ministry. I think you might find it amusing that I pranked my own mother with that Rodent Rock...it was eventful, to say the least. She cursed me some time around midnight last night, and I had to go out of house to get treatment because she refused to let anyone do anything about it. I also had to be at the Auror Office for the extremely early shift this morning, so I'm not a very happy little Tonksie at the moment."

Meretta gave a little shriek of anger and horror, and the figure who had been approaching them from the now-docked boat froze. Reginald's arm tightened around his daughter's shoulders, and Estella wished she could hide from the storm she was sure would follow, scared at the look on the faces of the others.

The Patronus continued, oblivious to the damage it was causing. "I just thought it might amuse you that my mother turned herself into a rodent. I mean, she was standing in front of the table, and she suddenly—I am not joking about this—she turned into a _black rat_. Isn't that great? I'd definitely use the Rocks again, but...not on my mother. She was furious. Tell Fred and George they've really hit on something good. And...I guess I should do something other than talk to my Fox. Bye, Ginny!"

" _ **Crucio**_!" the Curse hit Estella without warning, and she slipped from her father's arms, landing on the dock as she screamed in sudden agony.

"Meretta!" shouted Reginald warningly as the bitemates all began to hiss angrily.

The woman ignored her husband, but let up the Curse, glaring down at her writhing, shrieking daughter. "You were told," Meretta hissed harshly, " _not_ to communicate with that _filthy_ half-blood! Weren't you? Yes! Your cousins warned you, but you don't listen."

Estella cried through her pain, "I didn't! I don't! She's been stalking—" she screamed, her body cramping with pain as her mother performed a second Curse. Her joints and muscles begged for relief, her blood seeming to heat up inside her veins. She could feel her mother's hot anger in her Curse, far worse than the Dark Lord's had seemed to be.

Reginald came forward quickly when Meretta stopped the second Curse. He got down next to his daughter as the others closed in. "Stel," he muttered softly as she lay there and sobbed, her body shaking. "Sweetling—"

"Don't coddle her!" Meretta snapped at her husband.

"Stop." The figure furthest away pulled back her hood, revealing herself to be Narcissa Malfoy. "She does not communicate with the half-blood."

"How would you know?" demanded Meretta angrily. "You never see either of them. Do you?"

Narcissa looked straight into the eyes of the younger woman. "I see, but I never speak. We do not entertain filth, Meretta." She glanced down at the shivering girl lying on the dock. "Lauren has made sure that Estella's contact with Nymphadora has been merely one-sided. A sufficient curse-warning was given, and Estella is not to blame for that Patronus."

Reginald helped his daughter sit up as Meretta made a sound of disbelief. "Will you be able to move all right?" he asked her in Parseltongue.

She nodded, reaching up a trembling hand and brushing her tears away and her hair out of her face. "Mum—!" she choked in Parseltongue, and her father wrapped his arms around her gently, rocking her as she cried out her feelings of betrayal against his robe.

"I'm sssorry," he told her, pressing his face into her dark hair. "I love you, my daughter."

"Dad," she wept, then struggled to shut her tears up. Her basilisks were still hissing angrily, even Levir and Lises, and Estella finally told them to hush, that she was fine.

"Here," Reginald said quietly, getting up and helping his daughter to her feet.

Estella looked around, but her mother had gone. "Sorry," she whispered in English.

Narcissa came a little closer and said, "It isn't your fault, dear. The Tonks family has always had terrible timing. Are you ready to go?"

Ginny looked over at the blonde woman and bit her lip, sniffling a little. "Yeah," she said, her mouth dry again. "Dad—please be safe."

"There's no safe place," he told her, giving her a tight hug. "But I'll talk to you."

"Okay," she sighed, then looked up as a thought suddenly came to mind. "Why can't you ssstay in the Chamber of Secretsss?"

Reginald looked surprised. "We could," he said slowly, "but your mother doesn't like to be held down like that."

Estella rolled her eyes. "If she getsss herssself thrown in Azkaban because she doesn't use her brain, don't blame me. I'm just an innocent little Weasley."

"Sure you are," he chuckled, and she smirked a little. "Now go on," he added in English. "Narcissa will show you the way."

"Come along, dear," Narcissa said quietly to Estella, turning and walking back toward the boat, expecting the girl to follow.

Reginald kissed his daughter's forehead, then gave her a little push in Narcissa's direction and said, "Learn from them, Essstella. Narcissa isss a good woman."

Estella nodded, then hurried after Narcissa, following her out of the ward the other adults had made. Narcissa boarded the boat, standing aside until Estella was on board, then closed the opening in the side with her wand. "Welcome," Narcissa said to her softly. "I did not mean for our journey to have such a rough beginning."

The girl nodded, but did not speak. Narcissa watched her a moment, then said, "I think it might do you some good to have a little fresh air before you go back to sleep tonight. Would you like to join me on deck for a few minutes?"

Estella nodded again and followed the Malfoy woman to the slightly higher deck where chairs were chained down along the rail to keep them from falling over the rail during a storm. "Here," Narcissa told her, motioning her to a chair. "Would you like hot tea? It is a bit chilly up here."

"I'll be okay," Estella said very quietly. "I—I've got a Warming Charm on my—cloak." Her body still ached from her mother's two _Crucio_ s, and her backbone was slightly curved forward against the pain.

"You must speak up if you wish for some tea later," Narcissa told her, sitting down and looking out over the water as they moved away from the land. No one was waiting on the shore anymore, although the ward would have kept them from being seen if there had been.

"Why am I here?" Estella asked, trying to make herself sound inquisitive and not terrified or annoyed.

Narcissa looked carefully at the dark-haired girl, then answered, "To take a vacation from your normal home. As much as you needed to get away from there, I wished to have you stay with us a little bit. Since our meeting at Christmas, I have been curious to know you better."

The dark-haired girl bit her lip uncomfortably. "Oh."

Several moments went by, and Ginny wished she could get to sleep in order to relieve some of the effects of her mother's Curses. She was too nervous and uncomfortable to ask the blonde women where she was to sleep, though, and continued sitting on the deck. After a few more minutes, she shifted her position a little and Narcissa looked over at her, then frowned a little.

"Are you in pain, child?" Narcissa asked, and Estella nodded once, biting her lip. "Would you like me to see if I can help you? I have a little experience in healing the effects of this Curse."

"When will I go home?" Ginny asked before she could stop herself.

"Naridia told me that you should be here at least a week, and I told her that you could stay for at least ten days, if you were all right with it," Narcissa answered. "Would you like me to help you?"

Estella nodded dejectedly and looked down at her hands as Narcissa got up and came over to her. The woman put a fine-fingered hand on Estella's shoulder and said, "Scoot forward, dear." Estella obeyed, and shivered when she felt a wandtip press against the base of her skull. Narcissa gave the girl's shoulder an almost imperceptible squeeze, then carefully ran her wand down the middle of Estella's back, murmuring an incantation.

Almost immediately, Estella felt better, sitting up a little. Narcissa's hand kept her mostly still as the woman did the spell a second time. "Is that better?"

"Yes," Estella answered shyly, then yawned and blushed, embarrassed.

"I see someone should be sleeping," Narcissa said, a slight smile touching her lips. "Come along and I'll show you to your room."

Ginny got up and followed Narcissa along the way to a door, which the blonde woman pushed open. There was a small bed in the room, and Narcissa pointed out the small storage areas for her trunk and things.

Narcissa motioned Estella to go into the room, and the girl walked on in, her mouth opening slightly in surprise. "It's bigger once you go in!" Estella said in surprise, turning back to grin at Narcissa, who smiled back.

"It is yours while you stay with us," Narcissa told her. "And I will warn you that no ward you put up over this room will keep me out. But I won't come in unannounced; I will always knock." She stepped into the room and raised her wand, turning down the bedsheets for Estella before showing the girl how to turn up and dim the lights.

"Thanks," she said softly, glancing around.

"The bathroom is out the door to the right," Narcissa told her. "And one more thing:" she opened a cupboard above a small mirror "this potion right here is Anti-seasickness. It was brewed by a friend of ours who brews most of our potions for us. He does a very fine job, I must say." Narcissa gave a little secret smirk. "My husband and my son do not know that this is here for you if you need it. They do not get seasick, but I do, and I thought you might need a little assistance, as do I. Well. If you do need it, there is a small cup here, and you only need to drink one small cup per sixteen hours we are on the sea."

Narcissa grinned, and Estella grinned back. "Thanks," she told Narcissa again. "Thanks very much."

The woman laughed softly. "Of course. Now I will come to wake you in the morning, but you will be allowed to sleep in since you arrived and stayed up late tonight. Good night, Estella, and rest well."

"Good night!" Estella called after her as Narcissa left the room and closed the door softly behind her. Estella sat down on the bed, looked up at the ceiling of the room and asked, "What am I doing here? Narcissa is a lot more hospitable than I thought. You know, I should probably not say things like that on this boat. I think I should just go to bed."

Estella yawned again, then took her trunk out of her pocket, enlarged her trunk, and opened it. Finding a pair of pajamas, she slipped into them, pushed her trunk into the storage space on one wall, then climbed into the bed, slipping beneath the warm blanket (it must have had a Warming Charm on it). She fell asleep rather quickly, and didn't even miss her teddy bear, which she had left in her trunk.


	4. Chapter 4

She was awakened in the morning, not by Narcissa Malfoy, but by someone making loud noises nearby. She sat up in alarm, then realized she was in a completely strange place and hadn't warded her room, even though Narcissa had said it wouldn't keep her out. Estella seriously doubted that Narcissa had _ever_ made _that_ much noise!

Estella got up and dressed, listening to the sounds coming from behind the wall. Finally, she thought she knew what the sounds were, because she'd heard some very Draco-ish exclamations through her wall. Rolling her eyes at whyever Draco was banging around so much, she proceeded to brush her black hair and tie it up with a ponytail to keep it out of her face.

She put her toothbrush and toothpaste tube into her pocket, scurrying out of her room and down the way into the labeled bathroom. Estella washed her face and brushed her teeth quickly, then dried her hands on one of the towels (since when are there towels in a boat bathroom?).

As she left the bathroom, she collided with Draco, knocking them both down. "Watch where you're going, Parkington!" Draco groaned, rubbing his knee.

"Oh, get up," she told him, already standing, although she couldn't hide her embarrassed blush. She thought about offering to help him up, but decided against it and hurried back to her room.

A few minutes later, a knock came on her door and she called for whoever it was to enter. Narcissa came into the room, then stopped, smiling. "Excellent! You're already dressed! Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, but we are already gathering in. If you will follow me, I will show you the way."

Estella grinned and got to her feet, following Narcissa onto the deck. "Ooh!" she said, staring out at the very blue water and the sandy shoreline. "Ooh! Pretty!"

Narcissa looked out where Estella was staring and smiled. "Perhaps tonight we could eat supper on the desk and watch the sunset. It is very beautiful to see it disappear beyond the horizon. Come now."

The two joined Lucius and Draco in the small, ornate dining room, and Narcissa motioned Estella to a chair, sitting down beside her, across from the two males. Narcissa served herself, then turned the spoon handle toward Estella, murmuring, "It will be fine for you to serve yourself, if you wish."

Worried she'd spill something, Estella took the spoon and managed to serve herself breakfast without baptizing her breakfast mates with anything. She stayed quiet, listening to the sea outside and trying not to be shocked or giggly that she was taking breakfast with the Malfoys.

Almost the instant Draco began to say something to his father, Estella's bitemates began to hiss that they were hungry, and Estella hissed for them to be silent. Draco cut off sharply and looked at Estella accusingly. "You brought your basilisks!"

"If I'd known I was joining _you_ , I'd have brought all of them," Estella replied sulkily, and saw, to her amazement, that Lucius seemed to be almost amused. "As it is, I only have the five, and they say they are hungry."

"Bitematesss want _hisssusss_!" Ananke said forcefully, peeking her head out of Estella's sleeve and eyeing Draco. "He looksss slippery."

"Draco isss not _hisssusss_ ," Estella told them. "I will get you _hisssusss_ , but you mussst be patient!"

The blonde boy frowned. "What are they saying now?"

Estella grinned apologetically. "They think you'd make a good meal. Slippery, Ananke says." Draco looked horrified, and she made a non-committal sound. "I told them you weren't good to eat."

"What do you usually feed them?" Narcissa asked Estella.

"I usually transfigure raw meat or some other food into live rodents," Estella answered. "They love chasing them down and all."

"Well, that could be arranged, if you would say something," Lucius finally spoke to her.

She raised an eyebrow at Lucius Malfoy, then said, "The basilisks said it, but I don't translate for them automatically. They usually have more patience than they are presently expressing."

Narcissa shook her head, smiling slightly, then Summoned a house-elf and commanded it to bring raw meat, referring to Estella for the amount needed. The house-elf was back quickly, and Narcissa handed the carefully wrapped package to Estella.

The girl glanced around at the three Malfoys as the basilisks slithered to the outside of her robes, demanding their meal. "The deck would be better to feed them on," she said after an awkward silence. "They don't eat cleanly."

" _Sissshausss!_ " the basilisks agreed with their mistress. "No time for play! _Hisssusss_!"

"Come on then," Draco told her, getting to his feet and leading her from the dining room. "Let's go to the end of the deck since it's out of the way of everyone."

Estella allowed her basilisks to slither to the deck, and Draco backed away from them, nearly standing behind her. She opened the package and he wrinkled his nose slightly. "That smells terrible," he told her.

She shrugged. "But they love it," she answered, then tore off a chunk and transfigured it, allowing it to run down her robe and across the deck, two or three basilisks racing to see who would get it.

Draco winced when the rat crunched in the jaws of Sadura, and said, "I don't understand how you can stand to watch them eat like that."

"Well," Estella shrugged, "I watched Salazar Slytherin's basilisk feed in the Chamber of Secrets many, many times. This is just on a smaller scale. A lot quieter, too. Benjy was noisy."

"And just that prepared you to be the Parkington Serpent Keeper?" Draco asked her, looking away as Icythan struck an unsuspecting mouse. "That is disgusting, Estella."

"I wasn't all prepared," Estella answered. "For instance, I didn't know that too many bonding bites from these little basilisks could be dangerous to me even though I'm a Parselmouth. And grow up, Draco. They're just doing what their instincts tell them: killing small mice and rats. They really enjoy it, too. It strengthens them."

The blonde boy looked as if he'd be sick. "Stop," he told her, then walked away a little. "I'll be on the deck somewhere. Come find me when you're finished feeding your serpents."

Estella nodded, but when Draco had turned away, she stuck out her tongue at his back—the very moment Narcissa and Lucius came into view and spotted her. She ducked behind the wall of the room, checking on her bitemates as she blushed over being caught sticking her tongue out at Draco's back. That was definitely not something she'd ever wanted Narcissa to catch her doing, although it would probably be considered infinitely better than taunting Draco about Andromeda and Nymphadora.

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes as she accepted her happy bitemates onto her body once more. She didn't even know the name of Nymphadora's father, except for the surname of Tonks. Estella sighed to herself. _Why am I so interested in Dora's_ _family?_ she wondered to herself in annoyance. _I saw her two days ago, and she pointed me out to Scrimgeour as a schoolgirl who can do a Patronus. Great. Now people at the Ministry know how absolutely_ wonderful _the Weasley girl is. NOT._

Estella walked around the deck the opposite way, avoiding Lucius and Narcissa and finding Draco watching seagulls, a bored expression on his face. "Could you be any less enthusiastic?" she asked him.

"There you are," he frowned at her. "Does it really take you that long?"

"No," she answered. "I took the long way around. Um, anyway, where are we going?" Estella raised an eyebrow at the white-crested waves.

"Around the sea," Draco answered in an obvious tone. "We'll be taking lunch in a coastal city of Italy, before moving on. Mother told me this morning. We'll be stopping in other countries later, and you'll be staying with us until the fourteenth, or so."

The dark-haired girl nodded, and Draco motioned to the land mass they were slowly passing. "That's the island of Sicily. We should be seeing the mainland soon."

"Don't point, Draco," came his father's voice as the two older Malfoys joined the two children.

"It's just the four of us," Estella shrugged. "He hasn't got to pretend to me."

Draco gaped at her in astonishment. "Estella! Don't correct my father!"

Estella looked out over the waves without commenting, inwardly retorting and scolding herself at the same time. After several minutes, Lucius and Draco walked away together, talking in low voices, and Narcissa stepped closer to the dark-haired girl.

"You do understand that you shouldn't contradict Lucius' correcting his own son?" Narcissa asked with a half-amused smile at Estella. The girl nodded after glancing over and back out at the sea. "A fourteen year old child doesn't know everything, even if he claims to, Estella."

"It's all pretend," Estella said, shaking her head slightly. "If I weren't here, wouldn't you all act different?"

"We probably would," Narcissa agreed quietly. "But we'd do the same if anyone else was here."

"But it's fake!" protested Estella. "Everyone I know _pretends_ at least _something_ in their life! No one just is!"

Narcissa reached her hand out to feel the salt spray from the sea. "My place is to uphold the name and reputation of the House of Malfoy, Estella. That is more important."

Estella frowned. "Than being real? The reputation of the House of Malfoy couldn't be any worse with me, ma'am. Your husband tried to kill me when I was eleven!"

The blonde woman seemed to catch her breath slightly. "That was not his desire, Estella, and we should not speak of that. It is very dangerous." Estella didn't reply, glaring angrily out at the sea. "Listen to me, please, dear. You must understand that the Malfoy family has a purpose for everything they do. Injuring you was never part of any plan."

" _Everything_?" Estella said, turning her face to Narcissa, upset. "Pray tell what he thought would happen if he gave me a journal with a living memory of the Dark Lord in it? That we'd have a tea party in the girls' dorm or something? No! Does Lucius so easily forget the Dark Lord?"

"Estella, hush." Narcissa was looking down at the girl very strangely. "You speak too freely here. These wards are not as thick as they should be for such conversations."

"Is this a tender subject?" Estella said, raising an eyebrow. She couldn't stop her tongue, feeling angry and hurt at the Malfoys for the shame they'd always cast on her and the Weasleys, and also for the nearly deadly first year Lucius Malfoy had given to her. "Oops. I guess you'll never have it and when the Dark Lord returns, it will be _too late_."

Narcissa gave a little gasp, stepping back from the girl. "Estella," she whispered. "Please—you were never meant to—"

Estella turned away, staring out at the sea again, her expression blank although she felt furiously sad inside. "I was never meant for a life like yours," she said quietly. "It was better that I never knew what your world was like." She turned away to go back to her cabin, but a hand closed on her shoulder.

"Don't go, please," Narcissa breathed, and Estella turned back, feeling alarmed at the soft expression on the woman's face. "I was right," she whispered. "You are like—like Andromeda."

"I—" the girl began, but stopped as Narcissa reached out and touched her face, her eyes full of pain and disguised emotion.

"I want to help you," Narcissa whispered. "I failed her, Estella. It was the worst thing I ever did. I won't stand back and let it happen again."

Estella gulped, then stepped forward and accepted Narcissa's tight embrace. "I'm sorry," she said, sniffling a little.

Narcissa hugged the girl more tightly. "So am I. I miss her."

The Parkington finally slipped her arms around Narcissa awkwardly, her mind racing. _Did Narcissa choose my company because she sees in me the potential to completely shun my real family? Why did I even say what I did? I didn't want to upset her!_

"So you see," Narcissa said, drawing a deep breath when she stepped back, "if I were to truly 'be myself,' or act as I would if no one would fault me for it, I should shame my son and husband in the eyes of the world. I cannot do that to them, Estella. At one time I thought I might end up as Andromeda—leaving the family and all. But when Father told me I was to marry Lucius, I didn't want to leave anymore. I love my family, Estella— _all_ of my family. But I belong to the House of Malfoy, and I will uphold their name as long as I live."

"You're _wonderful_ ," Ginny whispered to Narcissa, darting forward and hugging her fiercely. "You're the best, Madam Malfoy."

"Please," Narcissa said softly after a moment, "call me Cissa." She smoothed her robes quickly, then gave Estella a tiny smile. "Why don't we join the boys? I'm sure they've finished their conversation. They don't talk nearly as much as I do."

Estella grinned and walked beside the blonde woman as they walked along the rail together. The surreality of the situation was sinking in, and Estella had to wonder if the Malfoy woman was just playing to get her, using talk of Nymphadora's family to do so. The dark-haired girl vowed to be on her guard and to observe Narcissa closely until she knew for sure.

More than anything, Estella desperately wanted Narcissa's words to be true, but she was afraid to believe the woman. She would not put her confidence in Narcissa Malfoy until she knew for sure that she could trust her.

The two joined Lucius and Draco on the deck, and the boy handed Estella a stone. "Throw it as far as you can and make a wish," he told her. "It's a wishing stone."

Shaking her head slightly, she answered, "Wishing is for dreamers."

"And you're not a dreamer," Lucius commented questioningly.

"Not really," she answered.

"Your father says differently," he said quietly, and she frowned as her bitemates inspected the stone, hissing that it was a stupid rock.

Estella looked up at him. "I don't really want to hear anything you have to say about any of my parents, if you please," she replied in the same quiet tone. Then she turned and hurled the rock out into the sea.

"Nice," Draco told her, smirking. He'd completely missed the exchange between her and his father. "What did you wish for?"

"I didn't," she answered. "Wishing stones don't work, and that one was a plain rock. So I chucked it into the sea."

"Did you see how she threw?" Draco asked his father and mother, grinning. "I told them that you played Chaser for us in the match against Hufflepuff."

Estella rolled her eyes. "Yes, I was so good," she said sarcastically. "That's why Fred and George have been making trouble for me ever since."

Draco gave her a disapproving look. "Then you shouldn't have revealed to them who you are!"

She sighed. "I didn't. Bill, Charlie, and Percy did, last summer. It's only Ron and Molly who don't know—well, Ron doesn't know. Molly doesn't know I know." Estella gave a little half-shrug, then looked out to where her rock had made ripples in the water.

"Arthur Weasley knows you are aware of your adoption?" Narcissa inquired.

"I'm sure he does," Estella said very quietly, looking down as she reached up and stroked the bitemate at her neck. "I tried to convey that message to him because I think he deserves to know. He's the only one who really accepted me as myself when I got to the Burrow from the orphanage."

"I thought you didn't remember the orphanage," Draco accused her.

Estella sighed again. "I didn't until I got knocked out the one time in the Common Room, remember? The shock was so strong it broke the Memory Charms. Now I remember far more about my past than I ever wanted to. I remember every little curse I used on Ron when I was two years old."

Draco's eyes lit up. "Like what?"

Narcissa smiled at the two, then said, "Draco, I believe your father and I will be relaxing for a little while before we have to prepare for landing. You and Estella have an hour and a half before we land. We hope to leave the boat at fifteen minutes until noon. Make sure you are presentable, both of you."

They both agreed, and the adults left them alone by the rail. Draco immediately turned back to the dark-haired girl. "Like what curses?" he asked again.

"Minor, mostly," Estella shrugged. "I would enchant those little magic puzzle pieces to burn him if he touched them. And I've set him on fire before. I'm pretty sure I've done lots of curses to him, because my oldest brothers told me that I used to curse him all the time."

"Nothing really bad," Draco sniffed in disappointment.

She glared at him. "I did _Crucio_."

Draco gaped at her. "What?!"

"That's what made Molly decide that Estella had to become Ginny Weasley," Estella said, scowling at a nearby seagull. "She decided that I was much too dangerous to remain myself, or to keep the few memories I had of my real family."

"Wait." Draco looked shocked. "You did _Crucio_ on the littlest Weasley _wandlessly_?"

"Yes," Estella answered tightly. "My own mother taught me to do it and told me that I was only to use it as a last resort. Well, it was too bad, because my last resort was Molly's last straw."

Draco watched her a moment, then said, "Didn't you know they'd disapprove?"

Estella sat down on the deck and leaned against the railing. "Yeah," she said. "But I was little enough that they should have thought it was a fluke of child magic. Molly probably blamed me for using magic more knowledgeably than most toddlers would. My real mother had tried to prepare me, but I was really too young to understand how I should have reacted in the Weasley home. I did make trouble for them, though, just as Mother asked me to."

The blonde boy considered her for a moment, then asked, "Do you have all your memories back?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I don't think so, though. There's so much missing from my young memory that I'm sure I'll keep remembering in dreams or flashbacks."

"But what broke the Memory Charms?" Draco protested. "If they're broken, shouldn't you have all your memories?"

"It was playing Quit that did it," she answered. "And did I get my rematch? I don't remember."

Draco smirked. "Keep your own record," he told her. "Want to play?"

She raised an eyebrow in alarm. "Now?"

His smirk grew, and he nodded, motioning to her to get up. "I'll pull," he told her, and she turned toward the rail, away from him. She raised her hands out in front of her and Draco placed his hands inches above hers. "Ready?" he asked in a soft chuckle, almost directly into her ear.

"Do your worst," she commanded him. Magic rushed up through her body, and she realized that her hair was suddenly soaked in water. "What on the earth!" she said in astonishment, and Draco sniggered.

"That's because we're so close to the Water Elemental," he explained, still drawing magic through her. "In the forest or in the Common Room, we only used Earth. It's still the same concept, although it's easier to draw Water when you're close to a source of water."

Estella began to release the magic, and felt her hair immediately began to be soaked again as magic rushed back up through her. She flung off the magic as Draco pulled it through her without stopping, biting her lip several times. When she felt her fingers and arms began to tingle, she gave a little gasp and Draco stepped back, laughing.

"I win," he said. "Your turn to pull."

"I didn't say quit!" she protested, then reached up to rub her temple dizzily.

"Sit down," Draco commanded her. "Now release. Release again. Again, Estella. I don't want you fainting, or something stupid like that."

The girl scowled slightly, but tried to concentrate on making her headache go away. After several minutes, she got up carefully and reached around the blonde boy, placing her hands over his. She felt for the magic, then drew magic sharply, and Draco gave a little start. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

Draco rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't care, Estella," he told her, flinging the magic from himself. "The point of the game is to win, not make sure it's fair. Did you use Fire on purpose?"

"I—what?" she said in surprise, her magic faltering for a moment. "No, I didn't! I didn't even know what I was pulling. To me, it's just wandless magic."

"Parkington," Draco sighed in exasperation, "there is no such thing as 'just wandless magic.' It's almost always Elemental, and usually very obvious which one it is, too."

"Not obvious to me," she replied, her concentration completely gone.

She suddenly felt a rush of foreign magic through herself, but before she could comment, Draco shoved her away, shouting, "Parkington! Don't do that!"

Estella looked astonished. "Do what?" she asked in confusion. "I was just pulling ma—"

Draco glared at her, his guard up. "You touched me. You _never_ touch the other person when you're playing Quit!" he snapped. " _Never!_ Shared magic isn't part of the game!"

"I didn't know," she snapped back. "You should have told me!" _I wouldn't choose you to share magic with anyway_ , she thought fiercely. _Tom says sharing magic is usually done between couples, and there's no way I'd_ ever _choose that with_ you!

"Whoever taught you to play Quit in the first place should have," Draco said, then huffed and turned away. "I've got to go find Mother. Amuse yourself, and stay out of trouble." Draco left her without another word.

Estella watched him go, then glared angrily out at the water. "I'm not naïve on purpose," she whispered. "It wasn't my choice. I can't help it that I don't know half the things everyone expects me to! I'm not going to survive this trip with the Malfoys, am I?"

She went back to her room, upset with herself and Draco's reaction. If he was that worried about shared magic, then he should have warned her against it to begin with.

A few minutes later, someone knocked on Estella's door, and she answered with a sigh, "Come in."

Narcissa entered the room and came forward to where the girl was sitting with her head against the edge of her bed. "I'm certain that was an accident?" Narcissa said softly, and Estella nodded. "Are you all right?"

"I don't feel well," Estella mumbled. "It's okay, though."

"Well, dear, it made Draco sick too," Narcissa said, gracefully kneeling down next to Estella. "I'm fairly certain I understand why, but I've got to take care of you first."

"Okay," Estella said, closing her eyes as she began to feel even worse.

After very carefully doing a spell to Estella, Narcissa said to her, "You're going to feel sick for a little while, perhaps the rest of today. You know where the bathroom is if you get too sick."

Estella cringed wordlessly, and Narcissa explained, "Your magic and Draco's magic seem to be completely incompatible. When shared (even by accident), they will not get along and make their host sick. There's not enough to send both of you to bed, but you will be pretty ill. And you probably won't want to eat in half an hour."

Estella groaned. "Do I have to eat?" she asked weakly.

"No," Narcissa reassured her, "but you will have to come with us. I can't leave you here alone. But no, you don't have to eat."

"Good," the girl sighed, and Narcissa gave her a sympathetic smile.

"I'll do your hair," Narcissa told her, then quickly conjured a brush and began to untangle the girl's hair. She pulled the girl's hair back just a little, getting it out of her face. "I did it the same way I do mine," Narcissa said, then turned the brush into a mirror and showed Estella what she looked like.

She smiled a little at her reflection, then got to her feet. "I don't really know anything about shared magic," she said awkwardly.

Narcissa turned back to her from the door. "I don't blame you, child. It must be taught, and I highly doubt that those who raised you know about it themselves." The blonde woman left the room, saying for Estella to be waiting on the deck in fifteen minutes.

Estella obeyed, going out on the deck when it was time, and realized that they were drawing ever closer to land. She slipped silently up to the rail a little way from the three Malfoys, waiting to land and disembark. After a few minutes, the woman wordlessly invited her closer to them, but the girl shook her head slightly, keeping her distance from them.

Lucius led the way off the boat, Draco right behind him. Narcissa motioned to Estella and asked quietly, "Are you feeling any better?"

She nodded, keeping silent and wishing she could stay on the boat and hide from the world in general. Estella walked by Narcissa's side as she was told, the four heading further away from the dock on foot. After they were a few feet from the dock, Lucius held out his hand to Draco, Narcissa taking his arm and holding her other hand out to Estella.

Estella fumed inwardly, but took Narcissa's hand, keeping her magic under control. Lucius apparated, and the four of them appeared in a very busy center where Estella understood absolutely nothing that was being said by the people there. They walked down the street a little way before entering a fancy-looking restaurant.

They were immediately escorted to a table, and sat down to read the menu. Narcissa explained the menu to Estella because it was in French, even though they were in Italy. Estella told her she wasn't hungry, and Narcissa nodded before looking at her husband. Lucius summoned the waitress, and all three Malfoys ordered their food in French.

The girl barely managed to keep herself from smirking when she heard Draco speaking French. His talking reminded her of Meris and his Lestrange cousins speaking French in the Common Room, and Estella felt slightly happier.

Narcissa told the waitress that the fourth was not going to be ordering, and the waitress left their table. A few minutes later, the waitress came back with the complimentary drinks and Estella scooted forward, trying hers as the young woman walked away.

" _Hisssusss_!" came the exclamation from several of the basilisks at the same time.

"What are you talking about?" Estella hissed at them crossly. "She'sss not _hisssusss_!"

"Missstress's sssire isss being chased by the Colourful One and the other _sheisss_ ," Teneski hissed excitedly. "Bitematesss have _hisssusss_!"

Estella panicked and sat up very straight. "Tonksss isss not _hisssusss_! The Colourful One isss  never _hisssusss_! Do you underssstand? Tell bitematesss—" she knew her face must have shown her anxiety, because the three Malfoys were watching her carefully.

Icythan tasted her neck, then hissed, "Bitemates' massster saysss that Missstress mussst allow the bitematesss to Ssstun her, if not _sissshausss_."

"No," Estella whispered. "Bite to ssstun if you mussst, but do not kill her. She isss ssspecial."

" _Hisssusss_!" complained Ananke and Sadura on the behalf of their bitemates.

"No!" Estella snapped, and her magic crackled angrily. "She isss not _hisssusss_! The othersss, yesss, but not the Colourful One!"

The bitemates all hissed uneasily, concerned and upset because their mistress was angry and upset. They slithered closer to her core, feeling her disrupted magic.

Draco seemed a little nervous, and Lucius was watching Estella with a calculating expression on his face. Narcissa leaned closer to the girl and asked quietly, "What has happened?"

"N—nothing," Estella stammered, looking down and trying to calm her breathing and her heart pounding.

"You can't gasp like that and tell us nothing is wrong," Draco told her. "I don't believe you."

"I don't have to make you believe me," Ginny answered. "I don't have to tell you anything." _They're either being chased or dueling the Aurors that are chasing them,_ she thought, still alarmed. _Oh, Father!_

The Malfoys didn't ask her any more questions about what had happened with the bitemates, but quietly waited for their food. Narcissa said something to the waitress, and the young woman smiled and nodded, hurrying off to come back with an extra plate.

Turning to Estella, Narcissa said, "I want you to eat at least a little bit. You don't have to eat very much, but you've got to have strength. Supper will be on the boat, a bit later than usual tonight."

Estella almost pouted, but nodded obediently, supposing Narcissa had a reason for her order. The blonde witch placed some of her own food on the girl's plate and said, "There. You will eat this before we leave here."

"Okay," Estella agreed, then picked up her fork and at Narcissa's approving nod, began to eat. She was shocked at the quality of the food she was now eating. Certainly, Molly's cooking was very good, Estella could not deny, but there was something very special about the food she was eating.

After the four had finished eating, Estella was calmed down considerably, and headed back to the boat with the Malfoys. They boarded together and the boat launched, heading back out into the Mediterranean.


	5. Chapter 5

A couple days later, Estella was comfortable enough to laugh and talk with Narcissa and Draco. She still didn't trust Lucius enough to speak to him casually. Draco didn't ask the girl to play Quit with him anymore, but she didn't care.

Estella learned the second day that they would be arriving in Greece the next morning. Narcissa explained, "Lucius will be seeing an old friend, and is taking Draco with him. You and I are going out just for fun."

"Cool!" Estella said excitedly.

"Yes," Narcissa said with a little laugh, slipping her left arm around the girl and giving her a little squeeze. "Now you must rest well tonight, because we will be leaving soon after the boys early tomorrow morning."

"Okay," Estella agreed, and impulsively hugged the woman before hurrying off to her room.

Narcissa woke Estella early the next morning, gently touching her shoulder and calling her name softly. Estella looked up, then frowned. "You don't look normal," she told the brown-haired woman.

"I'm not Narcissa today," answered the woman, grinning. "I'm going to be a commoner, and, if you wish, you could play at being my daughter."

"Ooh!" said Estella, then yawned and stretched. "Okay. I've never charmed my hair any colour but red before, though."

"You don't have to change it," Narcissa told her when the girl sat up. "Your black hair is fine unless you want to charm it." Estella got out of bed, and Narcissa added, "Don't wear anything too fancy, dear. We don't want to stand out today."

Estella agreed, and Narcissa left the room as the girl headed for her trunk to pick out her clothes for the day. She chose a soft brown robe that was worn in some places, slipping it on and heading for the mirror in order to charm her hair the right colour. Once she was ready for the day, she left her room and joined Narcissa on the deck.

The brown-haired woman regarded her a moment, then said, "Very good. Let's be off, then. The boys left about an hour ago, so they'll be done before us, most likely."

"All right," she said, practically skipping alongside Narcissa as they left the boat together and walked down the length of the dock. They found breakfast at a small market stand and ate as they walked down the street, looking around in various stores that intrigued them.

Almost giggling, Narcissa confided to her, "I've never eaten while walking down a busy street. I've almost never even been to an informal dinner. Eating was always a very strict business in my childhood."

Estella grinned. "I've almost never had a formal dinner," she shrugged. "Not with my brothers putting fake spiders in each other's soup."

"They do that?" Narcissa said, seeming disgusted. "Well, it can't be worse than what Sirius did. Once when our family and our cousins' family were together at our house, Sirius brought two or three rats to the table and released them during the third course. They went directly for the cheese, which was on the opposite side of the table from him."

"What happened to him for it?" Estella asked curiously.

"His mother Cursed him," Narcissa answered plainly. "My father took care of the rats, and Sirius was completely grounded for the rest of the time our cousins stayed at our house. Nothing our parents ever did kept Sirius from pranking any of us. Andromeda was the best at keeping him out of trouble, but sometimes I wonder if she secretly encouraged him, although she did keep him from bothering Regulus when they were at our house."

She frowned. "Regulus?"

Narcissa seemed intensely sad for a moment. "He was the younger brother, and far better at following the family ideals. Regulus disappeared two years before the Accident, and we believe that he fell ill of the Dark Lord's will and was consequently killed."

Estella gave a little gasp, and Narcissa sighed bitterly. "Bella convinced him to join the cause when he was barely sixteen," she said very quietly. "He didn't know any better, Estella. He was naïve, as some of the rest were. I don't think he was ever meant for such a life, but that's what he got. It wasn't right, any of it." Narcissa bit her lip sharply, then sighed again. "He was a very good boy, Estella: he shouldn't have disappeared so tragically, but we couldn't help him. We were all helpless. We still are."

The girl slipped her arm around Narcissa and squeezed her gently. "I'm sorry," she said, feeling how tense the woman was. "Look: there's a little flower shop. Let's go see what all is in there."

As they headed for the door of the shop, Estella heard Narcissa take a few deep breaths. "Did you love him?" she asked, and Narcissa nodded, looking away and walking toward a display of flowers.

"No more talk of him, please," she whispered. "It hurts too much to remember."

"Sorry," Estella said, then fell silent as they looked at the flowers together.

They left the flower shop after a little while and walked on down the street, checking out more shops. Finally, they came to a small outdoor seating place where it seemed that a performance was about to take place. They paid admission, and took their seats near the middle of the audience. It seemed to be an easy comedy that made the audience laugh with the actors.

When they were finished, Narcissa and Estella walked back toward the dock, picking up their lunch on the way as they laughed together over parts of the comedy. Estella had never known Narcissa to laugh very much, but felt really excited and honoured that the Malfoy woman would actually feel comfortable enough to laugh, almost giggle, with her over the performance they'd just seen.

As they boarded the boat, finishing their sandwiches, they found Lucius and Draco waiting for them on the deck. The boy was giving his laughing mother a half shocked look, but she just continued smiling. Lucius raised an eyebrow at the two females. "What is so amusing?" he asked Narcissa.

"Estella and I just saw a little stage play," Narcissa explained, becoming calm and collected once again as she took the charm off her hair. "It was quite entertaining." She smiled a little, then motioned to Estella to follow her and walked off toward the rooms. "Wash up very well," she told Estella, waving the restroom door open. "You don't want to get sick from anything you touched this morning. Don't forget that your hair is charmed, Estella dear."

"Of course not," Estella agreed, then walked into the bathroom. She washed her hands and face before drawing her wand and taking the charm off her long, black hair, going to her room for an early afternoon nap before she enjoyed the sea sunset on the deck later in the evening.

A little while later, Estella got out of bed and dressed herself for the evening, putting her cloak on so she wouldn't be cold. Sighing, she shook out her hair, then brushed it again, making sure it shone, untangled. She place the no-tangle charm that Narcissa had shown her on her hair, then left her room, going out to the deck to watch the sun set on the water.

Estella had barely approached the deck when she realized that Lucius and Narcissa were by themselves out by the railing. She stopped in her tracks and watched them a moment, tilting her head slightly. She watched as the two spoke in low voices and Lucius slipped his arm halfway around Narcissa. Estella turned away after a few moments to find Draco watching her with his arms crossed, his wand in his hand.

"Why are you spying on them?" he hissed at her. "Move, Estella."

"I wasn't spying," she protested. "I just walked onto the deck, and there they were!"

"Right," Draco said wryly. "Which is why you stood there and observed them without letting them know you were there!"

Estella rolled her eyes at him, then turned around, walking backward to face him. "And interrupted them? No. And I did walk away after I realized they should be left alone."

Draco just sighed. "You've got so much to learn about your own world, Estella," he said. "You act more like a half-blood than a pureblood."

She sighed too. "It isn't my fault, you know," she told him. "And this time I've spent with your family has helped me learn, I think."

The boy smirked. "You get to learn from the best."

"Your mum is wonderful," the girl said with a smile, resting her elbows on the rail and resting her chin on her fists. "She's decent enough, but so very cultured and collected. I can't pull off the dignity she does. I don't know how to do that."

"It was trained into her from her childhood," Draco said proudly. "As it was me."

"Seems like you could use some learning too," Estella giggled, and he scowled at her. "Well, I guess you're still a child, even though you're high and mighty Draco Malfoy."

"Parkington," Draco rolled his eyes at her words, although he didn't seem too upset with her.

They stood together and watched the sun set on the water, kind of ignoring each other silently. It wasn't until a wave splashed up on the deck that the two looked at each other in a sort of alarm. Narcissa appeared around the wall, saying, "Follow me immediately, you two."

She led them to their rooms, and explained, "There's a storm coming tonight. Stay in your rooms until it is over, and be very careful. Stel, make sure you stabilize your trunk. The cupboards in your room are spelled against opening by themselves, so you needn't worry about that. Do not go out on deck, either of you. I will come see you when it is safe. Goodnight."

Narcissa gave Estella a small hug, then sent her on into her room, marching her son away from the girl's door. Estella dressed for bed, feeling the boat rocking beneath her feet. She sighed, then hurried to get into bed, wanting to get to sleep before the storm could make her sick or scare her.

Estella was awakened by a loud thump and a shout from behind the wall. She sat straight up in her bed, then clutched at the supports of the bed as her room swayed. With a gulp, she realized that the storm must have grown worse. She heard someone cry out, and also understood that Draco must have been awakened by the storm.

 _He must be all alone over there_ , she thought, putting her cloak on as a gust of cold wind blew through her room. Estella pulled the cupboard open, putting the bottle of anti-seasickness potion in her pocket so it was easy to reach if she needed it. She was about to put Silencing Charms on her room so she could wrap herself up in the blankets to try to sleep again when she heard someone cry out again.

 _It is Draco_ , Estella thought, biting her lip. She'd thought she'd never hear Draco Malfoy cry out for his mother. _But she can't hear him,_ Estella knew. Drawing her wand, Estella slipped her two blankets and a few other things into a bag from her trunk, then put the bag into her robe pocket and wrapped her cloak more firmly around her.

The instant she opened the door to her room, she was drenched by the rain. Gasping for breath in the water, she managed to conjure a rope tied to a beam in the wall and grabbed it firmly, attaching herself to it so she wouldn't be swept away. Waves broke over the deck, and she was soaked to the skin, her hair plastered to her face. Shivering, she held her wand and stopped the next wave from hitting her as she crept along, holding to the rope and reattaching it in different places.

When she finally reached Draco's door, she waited until a wave had just passed, then burst into the room without knocking and slammed the door behind her. She stood there a moment, water running off of her onto the floor. Draco had cried out in shock, and Estella looked down to see him huddled on the floor against his bed, pasty white, his eyes wide with fear.

"Draco," she whispered, then hurried to him, kneeling beside him as she dried her robes. She slipped her arms around him without thinking and held him tightly, securely.

The blonde boy made a small whimper and practically clung to her for reassurance. She squeezed him tightly. "It's going to be okay," she told him. "It will end." His arms tightened around her, and she bit her lip. "I brought a couple extra blankets for warmth," she added. "Is your room warded against the elements and all?"

Draco finally nodded, and as Estella dragged him to his feet, the door burst open and Estella whirled to combat whatever part of the storm had broken down the door. But it was not the storm.

Narcissa Malfoy burst into the room, once again slamming the door behind her. She stared at the two children, extremely distraught. "Estella!" she almost sobbed, rushing to hug the two children. "Draco!" Drawing back from her son and the girl, she snapped at Estella, "I told you not to leave your room! Why did you leave it? You could have been swept overboard and drowned! Then what would I tell anyone? How would the Charlestons explain that you were killed in the Mediterranean without any of them present?"

She turned to Draco, then hugged him to herself tightly, sniffling. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I had to convince your father to let me come. He instructed me to make sure I was anchored the whole way. But I'm here now. Shall we all get on the bed? It'll be more comfortable if we're all to be here for a while."

Draco stuttered something about Estella having extra blankets as his mother crawled into the middle of the double bed, the two children lying on either side of her. Narcissa warded the bed so that they would not fall out of it, then asked Estella for her blankets. The girl gladly gave them to Narcissa, who used all the blankets they had to wrap herself and the children up very warmly.

Estella snuggled against the woman's side, feeling Narcissa's arm wrap around her back as she lay there. Draco was lying on his mother's other side, his head against his mother's robe, watching Estella, although his fist clutched his mother's robe nervously and his eyes betrayed his little boy fear of storms.

After a little while, when Estella was becoming drowsy, her momentary terrors calming, Narcissa sat up, biting her lip. Estella realized that the woman was very pale, and asked, "Are you all right?"

The Malfoy woman smiled weakly. "I think I might be sick in a minute or so," she admitted. "Sorry."

"Oh," Estella said in surprise, then thrust her hand into her pocket. "Do you need this?" she drew her hand out of her pocket, the bottle of anti-seasickness potion there. "I brought it in case I needed it, but I don't think I will. I'm all right for now. I didn't bring any cups, though, so you'll probably have to drink it straight from the bottle or conjure a cup for yourself."

"You're so wonderful," Narcissa breathed, then grasped the bottle, popping the lid off and getting a good drink of the potion. "Oh, that's so much better. Thank you, Estella." She lay back down, and the girl murmured her reply. The children snuggled up next to her again, Estella falling asleep first because she was more relaxed, and not afraid of storms.

In the morning, Estella woke to see blonde hair before her, and realized (sitting up slightly) that Narcissa's hair had come down during the night. To her relief, she found that the storm was over and sighed gratefully. She lay back down, content to stay close beside Narcissa as long as she could.

A while later (she didn't know how long), Estella heard a knock on the door, and all three persons in the room jerked awake sleepily. "Come in," Narcissa called softly, sounding as if she hadn't been asleep at all.

The door opened, and the sun shone into the room, making Estella sit up as she sighed. Lucius was standing in the doorway, looking in on them. "Hi," Draco said sleepily, and Estella couldn't help but grin at the two males.

"Did it stop raining?" she asked through her yawning grin. "Well, it must be doing something else. The sun is shining."

"What is Estella doing in here?" Lucius asked the two members of his family, raising an eyebrow.

"She got in here last night just before Mum," Draco answered, sitting up and smoothing his hair down. "I don't know why. She was told to stay in her room."

Estella gave Draco a withering look, and Narcissa said, "I actually told you both to stay off the decks."

The girl bit her lip slightly as everyone looked at her. "I heard a loud noise from his room that woke me up, so I came over to make sure everything was all right."

"The storm knocked me out of bed," Draco admitted, a slight colour in his face.

"That takes talent," Estella giggled, then added to Narcissa, "well, he was calling for you, but I wasn't sure you would hear him."

"You came over here because of that?" Draco raised an eyebrow at the girl.

She huffed at him. "What did you _think_ I came over here for?" she sputtered, then said sharply, "Don't answer that!"

Draco gave her a scandalized look, and she sniggered before turning away. His mother shook her head slightly, then said, "How did you get over here without being swept away? I thought that you were lost when I found your room empty."

"Ooh," Estella gulped, remembering Narcissa's reaction to her presence the previous night. "I actually used a rope to tie myself down to the deck. Conjured, of course."

"It's still out here," Lucius commented. "It would be greatly appreciated if you were to remove it, Estella."

"Couldn't anyone else do it?" Estella asked, a tiny bit of blush coming to her cheeks.

Lucius smiled thinly. "It seems you warded it against anyone but yourself," he replied.

Estella's mouth dropped open. "Nice," she said happily. "I'm good."

Narcissa laughed a little, then gave Estella a small hug. "Thank you for coming to help," she told the dark-haired girl. "I'm really glad you're safe. Now go take that rope down and prepare for a late breakfast, all right? I'll be by in a minute."

Estella nodded and she pushed the blankets back, getting out of Draco's bed. The instant she realized how awkward it sounded to have been sleeping in the same bed with Draco Malfoy, her ears burned red and she fled from the room.

When Estella was back in her own room, she quickly dressed for the day, yawning sleepily as she brushed her hair, waiting on Narcissa. As soon as the Malfoy woman knocked on the door, Estella waved it open with her hand. "Come in," she told Narcissa.

"Were you really worried about Draco last night?" Narcissa asked her seriously.

"Well, it did sound really bad when he fell out of bed, although I wasn't sure if that had been what had really happened," Estella answered truthfully. "He sounded absolutely terrified when he was crying out for you. I mean, he should have remembered that I was next door, but he still sounded like a toddler crying for his mother. Not that I blame him. Very much."

"What did you intend to do when you went to him?" Narcissa asked, coming to sit beside the girl on her bed.

The girl bit her lip again nervously. "I just wanted to make sure he was all right," she muttered. "I wouldn't have gone if it hadn't sounded like he needed help. I'm sorry that I scared you, Cissa. I didn't know if you would hear him, and I thought he needed someone. I only wanted to be there for him." She looked down, playing with her fingers in her lap.

Narcissa chuckled softly. "He was scandalized when he realized you had heard him call for me," she said. "And also when he realized that you risked your life to make sure he was all right, and not alone during the storm. Draco was pleased, even thankful, though he would never tell you so."

"I didn't even think," Estella whispered. "I just went to help him."

"That's your instinct," sighed Narcissa. "I was afraid of that. You've got a very strong instinct to protect others, and to answer distress calls. Estella, you need to make sure that you're safe when you do things like that. You were all right this time, but there may come a time that you are hurt very badly or even killed because you tried to help or save someone. Be careful, please. I know that bravery has been trained into you for as long as you've been at the Burrow, but that doesn't mean it can't be tempered. Don't let your hero instinct destroy you, Estella."

"Oh." Estella nodded, looking down at her hands. She felt Narcissa hesitate, then slip her arm around her, kind of drawing her to her side.

"I am not angry," Narcissa told her. "I am very concerned that this instinct, which is partially inborn, I am sure, will hurt you in the years to come. Please be careful, Estella. I cannot stress this enough. Calculate your actions, and don't be rash."

Estella nodded again, her mouth dry. "Okay."

Narcissa sighed, gently squeezing the girl's arm. "I am not angry, Estella," she said gently. "Please remember that. I just want you to be the best you can be. As long as you calculate the risk and know that it will work out—"

The girl was suddenly shaking, and her basilisks were hissing excitedly. "Estella?" Narcissa asked urgently. "What's wrong?"

"No," Estella dry sobbed, flinging her arms around Narcissa and burying her face in her robe. "No!"

"What's wrong, child?" Narcissa persisted. "What has happened?"

"Father's training the two basilisks I gave him to be warriors," Estella gasped. "I don't _want_ them to be killers, but—I can't stop him! I told them to listen to him! It will be all my fault!"

Surprised, Narcissa continued holding the girl carefully, patting her back slightly. "What your father does is not your fault, child," she said gently. "He chose his life before you were born, and he has had his own serpents before."

Estella sniffled, still horrified that her serpents had been ordered to attack humans. "Yes, but these aren't his," she breathed. "I'm responsible for what they do, and—Cissa, I don't know what to do now!"

Narcissa comforted the girl for a moment, then said, "I don't know your father well, but we both know that he's as much a Parselmouth as you are. His father, and grandfather taught him the Parkington way, something Reginald was unable to pass on to you so far. His serpents always had to earn their place on him, Estella. They had to work for him in order to exist with him. Your basilisks have probably been charged to protect him, even though they are with him mainly to communicate with you." Narcissa smiled wryly. "That's all I understand of the Parkingtons and their ways."

Grinning painfully, Estella nodded. "I don't like it."

"I know, dear," the blonde woman said kindly. "Perhaps you should speak to your father about this kind of thing when he has time."

"I sometimes wish I wasn't myself," Estella said unguardedly. "I mean, what if I actually was Ginny Weasley? I wouldn't be here. Father wouldn't have my basilisks." Estella looked up, and two tears splashed down her cheeks unwillingly. "I wouldn't have any serpents," she whispered, teeth clenched. "I wouldn't be a Parselmouth at all."

"Missstress!" protested all her bitemates in alarm, but she ignored them.

"What will I do?" she wept, finally clinging to Narcissa almost as Draco had to his mother during the storm. "I don't want to be evil, I don't think."

"It's your decision," Narcissa told her quietly, "although it will be very difficult for you. I can help teach you the proper ways of our World, although you will have to fight for your place in the pureblood society." Estella seemed to get a faraway look in her eyes, and Narcissa asked finally, "What are you thinking?"

Estella sighed. "Nymphadora," she answered, and Narcissa pulled back from the dark-haired girl. "Some of the older Hufflepuffs told me that she struggled with knowing herself too. They recommended I talk to her." Estella drew a deep breath. "Do you think half-bloods feel torn like this? Like they're being pulled between the Worlds, between the Light and the Dark?"

Narcissa seemed very uncomfortable. "I wouldn't know, Estella," she said carefully. "I would not recommend that you talk to the brat if you want to remain pain-free during your school years. Your cousins would not be pleased with you at all. No one would, really."

 _No one understands what it's like_ , Estella mourned, leaning against Narcissa for comfort. _I need someone to understand. I wonder if Tom would._

 _Estella, I really don't,_ Tom told her, startling her. _I'm really sorry I can't help. I was taught my place by both parents, and I used to be a high member of society (except for the part where I had the Parselmouth label)._

"No one understands," Estella whispered finally, closing her eyes. "No one." _What if I did contact Nymphadora Tonks again?_ Her body chilled in fright. What would stop any of her cousins from torturing her if they found out? It certainly wouldn't stop her mother!

"I'm sorry," Narcissa murmured. "If I knew how to assist you, I would."

"Will Mother ever believe that I didn't encourage Nymphadora to contact me?" Estella whispered. "She Cruciated me!"

"I don't know, dear," answered the blonde woman. "Your mother is very explosive: she's my first cousin once removed, making you my second cousin. I've known her for quite a few years, and she's always had the split-second cursing explosion temperament. And, if she feels sorry afterward, no one ever knows."

Estella nodded, then looked up. "I think I can go out now," she said. "I'm hungry."

Narcissa smiled and stood, Estella remaining by her side. "Remember that there's only one you, Estella," she said. "Take care of it."

"By feeding it," Estella giggled a little, hiding her tearstains. "Aren't you hungry too? It's almost lunch time!"

"Oh." Narcissa walked quickly to the door. "Let's go, then. Lucius and Draco will be waiting for us, most likely." The two left the room, walking off to the small dining room.


	6. Chapter 6

A couple days later, Estella joined Draco along the deck rail. He was looking out over the sea and said to her calmly, "That shore over there is Bulgaria. Do you know what famous person came from there?"

"Krum," she replied promptly. "Are you a big fan?"

"Well," Draco smirked, "we're going to see him play in the World Cup."

"Cool!" Estella said. "We are too!"

Draco gave her a skeptically raised eyebrow. "How so?"

Estella shrugged slightly. "Dad—well, Mr. Weasley—got tickets from one of his friends at work, and so a whole parcel of us are going. He's got the traveling instructions and everything."

The blonde boy smirked. "A parcel of Weasleys," he said disdainfully.

"It won't be just us," Estella said sharply. "Hermione's coming too, and Harry, if Dad can get him away from his Muggles!"

"The Mudblood!" Draco said in disgusted horror. "No! And Potter?"

"Yes," Estella answered firmly. "Both of them. And Bill and Charlie are joining us, too. I can't wait til they come home. I haven't seen Charlie for three years!"

He shook his head. "I don't understand why you care so much about seeing them. They know they're not your real family."

Estella sighed softly, then looked out toward the land mass again. "I grew up with them," she said. "They're all I've known, Draco, and I don't expect you to understand at all. You're not the 'understanding' kind of person. My three oldest brothers have been my protectors, even though I've had some trouble with Percy. I love them, and I can't wait to see them again."

Draco just shook his head, and she waved off his skepticism. "Anyway," she continued, "I'm just going to go to my room until supper. See you later." Estella hurried off without waiting for an answer.

Once she got to her room, she curled up in her bed and asked her bitemates if her father was busy at the moment. Icythan informed her that her father was in the Chamber of Secrets with non-speaking mistress. Estella's stomach turned at the thought of her mother listening to her conversation with her father, though Meretta could not understand a word of Parseltongue.

"Father?" she asked cautiously. "Will you talk to me?"

"Of course," came the reply as the bitemates eagerly relayed the message to their mistress. "Did you have a question, or did you just want to talk?"

"I—I don't know," Estella said nervously. "Is Mum still angry with me?"

Reginald Parkington took a moment to reply, and his daughter curled up into the blankets, clutching her teddy bear to her chest. "She has been very upset for a long time about your being taken in by the Weasleys," he finally replied. "She believes that you willingly associate with Auror Nymphadora Tonks, who you know is part of the team assigned to find us."

Estella's heart pounded as she listened to her father's answer, and she asked in a small voice, "Would you be angry if I actually did?"

"Even if you have the best purposes for consorting with such a person," Reginald warned his daughter, "you should avoid her, Estella. She might try to use you to find us, or something equally bad. She is a half Black, and the blood doesn't thin out well."

"Oh. Okay." Estella was silent for several moments, and her father finally asked, "Was that what you needed to say, sweetling?"

"One thing," she whispered, fighting back her emotion at her father's pet name for her. "Are—are you training Levir and Lises to be human killers?"

" _Hisssusss!_ " came the distinct voices of the two basilisks her father held. "Two legged _hisssusss_!"

The man took a moment before answering, "I am going to be teaching them to protect whoever is holding them. If that means to kill, then yes, I am training them to attack on cue, but every basilisk is pre-trained to kill, darling."

Estella bit her lip hard, feeling the pain in her mouth. "You've already been testing them on it."

"We told Missstress," volunteered Teneski. "Does Missstress's sssire disssapprove?"

"Missstress mussst know what the bitematesss are doing," Reginald told them, "and of courssse she isss to be obeyed. What she ordersss isss what you mussst obey, not what I sssay."

"I don't want to know everything," Estella said hurriedly, her mind clouding with images that the basilisks were seeing of Levir and Lises attacking the Aurors that had pounced on her parents. "I jussst want to make sssure that they are protecting, and that they are all right. And that you're all right, Father."

"Thank you," he chuckled. "I'm glad you're concerned about usss. We're very safe here in the Chamber."

Estella smiled, knowing that was the truth. "How does Mum like it?"

Reginald sighed. "She says that it's as bad as a prison, but that's because she can't speak Parseltongue," he shrugged. "She does get stir crazy after a while, and I'll have to take her out to blow off steam, but otherwise, we'll be staying in the Chamber as long as we want to."

"May I come and visit you when I'm at school next year?" Estella asked her father pleadingly. "I would really like to be able to come sit with you and Mum and talk. I want to ask you so many things, but I'd like to talk to you face to face." She grimaced. "I would also like to make sure that Mother isn't in a torturing mood when I arrive."

"That would be a good idea," Reginald agreed wryly. "She shouldn't have done those Curses, Stel, and I've tried to explain to her that you weren't raised with that kind of punishment, but she doesn't understand."

"Understand?" Estella gasped, becoming upset. "Of course she doesn't understand! She has no claim to be able to punish me at all, because she left me alone in the orphanage where I had no one. She abandoned me, and can't just expect to walk back into my life like nothing ever happened. I had Memory Charms, Father. _Memory Charms!_ I've had Weasleys—I've still got them! My own mother left me in an orphanage because she couldn't take care of me while she was on the run from the law."

Reginald was slightly disturbed at his daughter's words and said in concern, "She loves you in her own way, Estella. She wants to be able to relate to you—she wants her little girl back, but you've grown up without her. You don't need the part of motherhood that she's able to provide: she didn't grow as a mother when you grew as a child because you weren't together. It's really hard to explain. Sorry, sweetling."

Clutching her teddy bear abusively tight, Estella sniffled, "What if she never understands me, Dad?"

"Then you'll have to believe me that underneath her stern, chase and war hardened exterior, she loves you very much," Reginald told her. "She really does want to be a good mother to you, but the two of you are so different, it is very hard for her to know how to even talk to you."

"She didn't have to Curse me."

"Meretta is angry with herself too," Reginald confided to his daughter very softly. "I don't know why, though. Perhaps she felt that she was a failure because she couldn't stay and care for you. She was devastated when she found that you had been taken to the Weasley home, Estella. She sobbed for nearly three hours, and she rarely cries at all over anything. She was heartbroken over it; you've got to believe me."

The girl straightened her teddy bear and smoothed his fur. "She could have come to see me at night," Estella said carefully. "The Weasleys really aren't very careful with their wards. Besides those, you'd have to pick the lock Muggle style to keep from setting off ward alarms, but that wouldn't be too hard."

Reginald seemed very quiet for a moment, then said, "Stel, we did come to see you, nearly every two weeks afterward. But one day, you didn't know us anymore. We never came back after that. They had changed you so much that Meretta couldn't bear to believe that she couldn't even raise her own daughter in the way she considered proper."

"What about my little brothers?" Estella asked.

"How do you know about them?" Reginald demanded in alarm, and the bitemates hissed that they had scared the non-speaker.

"That book has them listed," Estella answered. "Shaul and...Mathis, wasn't it?"

Her father sighed. "Yes. You have two little brothers. They are at an orphanage together, and they will never be adopted. Your mother has made sure of that. She was desperate to make sure that she did right by the rest of her children." Reginald rubbed his left forearm nervously. "No one knows that we have other children besides you, Estella. We would appreciate it if you wouldn't say anything about them to anyone. Please. We haven't seem them in several years, and probably not since Mathis was two years old. They won't even remember us."

Estella bit her lip, thinking of little boys in an orphanage. "They won't even know that they're from my family, or even your family! I'll look out for them while I'm at school. Do you know when they'll be starting school?"

"Shaul will be starting year after next," Reginald said quietly, stroking the basilisk that had slithered into his lap. "Mathis will start two years after his brother. I do not know how they will act toward each other, or toward you. I don't even know what they look like, Estella."

"Life on the run makes you miss a lot," she sighed, wishing she could give her father a reassuring hug. "I wonder what our family would be like if I'd grown up with little brothers instead of big brothers?"

"I'm not sure," chuckled Reginald. "You'd probably be more of a protector, since you are the oldest child."

"But," protested Estella, "I _am_ a protector! I do try to protect and take care of those I see that can't do something or that need help. I just did that to Draco during a nasty storm on the sea. I really hope I can go home soon. I need room to think openly."

Reginald laughed more easily. "Just remember that you'll probably have to tell the Weasleys some things you did on vacation," he warned her. "Perhaps you should think of some things you can say, or some ways that you can evade awkward questions."

Estella smiled and sat up as there was a knock on her door. "I'll talk to you later, Father. I think it'sss supper time." He said goodbye, and Estella called, "Come in!"

Narcissa opened the door. "Coming to eat, Estella?"

"Of course!" she said cheerfully, tucking her teddy bear partially beneath the covers as she walked toward the door. She noticed that Narcissa eyed the teddy bear a little darkly as she shut the door to Estella's room.

Once the two of them were seated in the dining room, Lucius looked over at Estella and said, "Draco says your second family is attending the World Cup. How...extraordinary."

She gave him a blank look and began to eat her supper. Draco glared at her over the table, and she gave him a tiny smirk. "Aren't we?"

Narcissa distracted the others, saying, "We have a small change of plans, Estella. Since the storm delayed us about half a day, we have decided to cut our trip short. We will be returning home in two days."

"Home?" Estella said, almost choking on her mouthful. "Malfoy Manor?"

Draco rolled his eyes at her. "Duh," he said. "Where else is home?"

Estella swallowed her bite, then glared at Draco. "Not my home."

He sneered at her, then turned to his father. "We will finish our trip later, won't we?"

The dark-haired girl could not resist rolling her eyes at the Malfoy boy before she continued to eat. Lucius glanced over at Draco, then said, "In light of the future, I believe there will be more important things to concern ourselves with."

Draco gaped at his father open mouthed. "Like what?"

"Like preparing for the return of the Dark Lord," Estella said offhandedly, and Draco stared at her.

"Estella," Narcissa said sharply, and the girl didn't look up at any of the Malfoys.

"Do you know something the rest of the world doesn't, Ms. Parkington?" Lucius said softly. "Is there talk of the Dark Lord's return?"

Estella shook her head. "I know nothing," she said in a small voice. "But there is talk."

Draco sneered at her. "You shouldn't talk about things you don't understand, Estella."

"You do that," she told him in the same subdued voice, but now she had a note of danger in her voice. "And I do know about this, Draco. I know a lot more about the Dark Lord's return than you do."

"No one knows if He will—" Draco began, but Estella interrupted fiercely.

"He _will!_ " she snapped. "There isn't a question of if he will! The question is _when_ , Draco, and the answer is _soon_. He's coming back for my father, and for yours, and it's going to be a lot worse this time."

Narcissa hissed a sharp command, and Estella got to her feet. "Sorry," she whispered in the dead silence, then walked out of the room.

The dark-haired girl stood out by the rail alone, watching the waves roll over the sea. She felt a heavy weight on her chest, feeling more and more concerned about the future. Estella was certain that the Dark Lord's return would take almost the whole world by surprise, and felt especially terrible that she had dreamed about his return. The girl did not want to be responsible for any part of the war that she knew was coming.

After an hour and a half or so, Draco came out onto the deck, joining her on the railing. "You really think your dream foretold the Dark Lord's coming?" he asked in a slightly awed tone.

"At least, that the time will be soon," she whispered.

"You're afraid," Draco accused her.

"It's not a bad thing to be afraid," Estella answered. "But I'm not afraid for myself. I'm afraid for those that have to return to his service. I'm afraid for those that will fight against the Dark in the coming war. It's not going to be pretty."

"But if the Dark Lord—" Draco began, and Estella held up her hand.

"Don't sing his praises to me, or tell me that he's going to rid the world of Mudbloods or something like that," she told him. "He isn't. He'll only make their lives miserable—and make yours miserable while he's at it."

Draco looked at her carefully. "You shouldn't speak of him like that. What if he found out?"

The girl sighed. "You see? You're already living in fear and he isn't back yet!" She rubbed her forehead a little, then touched the serpent at her neck. "I think I'll turn in early. Goodnight, Draco."

Draco turned back to the sea without replying, a frown creasing his brow.


	7. Chapter 7

The day they arrived on the Irish shore, Narcissa came up behind Draco and Estella and asked them if they were all packed. They reported that they were, and she smiled slightly. "We will be leaving once your father is here," she said to Draco. Turning to Estella, she added, "We will be disembarking and disapparating almost immediately."

"Okay," Estella said, and smiled as well. Draco seemed glad to be going home, and she couldn't blame him. Living on a boat with a doomsday Parselmouth would make anyone want to hide away in their own private room.

"Is everyone ready?" came Lucius Malfoy's smooth voice. "Then let us be going."

They walked together off the boat, and the instant they were past the wards of the boat, they caught hands and disapparated. Draco immediately sighed, "Why are we here?"

The group of four seemed to be standing at the end of a long driveway. Estella saw the older Malfoys exchange a glance, and finally answered the boy, "Because I'm not keyed into the wards, Draco. And it isn't safe to take someone like that through the wards."

They walked up the driveway and Estella schooled herself not to gawk at anything she saw. She knew Draco was watching her out of the corner of his eye and waiting for her reaction. She wasn't going to let him know that the fine architecture and so on was far better than anything she'd seen in a British Isles home before. That being said: she hadn't been to many other houses besides the Burrow. Estella then thought of the Charleston home, but put the thought out of her head when she saw the black iron gates of Malfoy Manor.

The gates swung open as Lucius and Narcissa approached, Draco and Estella following close behind them. Estella raised her hand to feel the ward on the gate, and Draco slapped her hand down, motioning her to hurry up. She glared at him and did so, not looking at him again for several minutes. She felt the ward scan her as she entered the next layer of wards, and shivered slightly.

At the entrance to the mansion, Lucius waved his left hand casually and the doors to the entrance hall swung open, allowing the four of them into the house. Lucius murmured something to Narcissa, then left her with the two children. Draco turned to walk toward the right wing of the manor, but his mother stopped him. "Draco, would you show Estella around the garden a little?" she asked, but it wasn't a question. "I have a few small situations to take care of, and then you can relax this evening."

"All right," Draco sighed, then turned back to Estella. "Follow me." He walked away, and she hurried to catch up as he led her straight out the back exit into the garden.

"Oooh!" she breathed, seeing a stone path and hearing running water. She caught up with Draco, who had disappeared down the path, and sighed. The air in the garden was much lighter than the air outside had been, and the water of the brook that the two children had paused at seemed to be perfectly pure and clear.

"Over there," Draco said in a bored tone, waving his hand at another section of the garden, "is the section of the garden assigned to the Fire Elemental. This is Air and Water here, obviously. Earth is all around us, especially in the flowers. This is really mother's pride and joy, not mine."

Estella glanced at his face. "What do you do all the time when you're here?"

Draco walked on, heading for the cross section of the garden. "Hold on," he told her, in sort of a promise way. "Here," he said, pointing further into the Fire section. "There are torches lit with Elemental Fire. They never go out because they are fueled by magic. Merlin. This is like trying to explain the alphabet to a Muggle."

"You're so kind," Estella told him, rolling her eyes. "Ron thinks you spend all your time up here thinking of ways to insult him."

"Does he?" smirked Draco with a small laugh, almost genuinely. "He's not _that_ important to me. I don't need to think up an insult beforehand. He provides enough material to insult without preparation on my part."

Estella laughed and followed the boy up the middle section of the garden. "A fountain!" she gasped. "Oh, goodness, it's so beautiful!"

Flames shot from the very top of the fountain, water falling from beneath the flames, the two almost mixing. As the two watched, Estella saw the wind grow stronger, and the flame and water blew in a torrential combination around the fountain. "It's warded in," Draco told her when she stepped back, a little respectful of the flames. "It can't get you unless you stick your hand through the ward."

They watched for several more minutes until Draco finally turned away. Estella turned and hurried to catch up with him once more, both of them meeting Narcissa as they were entering the house once more.

"Thank you, Draco," Narcissa told him, and he was gone before she could dismiss him. "Did you see the entire garden, Estella?"

"I saw an overview," Estella shrugged slightly. "It was nice. I liked the fountain."

Narcissa smiled. "It is very special, since it incorporates all the Elementals. I think you need to be taught more about Elemental magic, dear. It would help you with your own magic, as well as serve to refine your magical senses. You would be more sensitive to the quirks of magic, and I think you could be very good at discerning the specialties of magic."

Estella agreed, but bit her lip. "Would you, or do you think I could ask Mum or Dad to help me with that? They're going to be staying in the Chamber for a while now."

The blonde woman smiled. "Of course," she said softly. "Of course. Would you like to come see your room now, Estella?"

"Sure," she answered eagerly, and Narcissa walked along with her toward the right wing of the house.

"This is the guest area of our home, as well as the sleeping quarters," Narcissa told her. Motioning to one hall, she said, "Our room is down there, and Draco's room is off that hall." She pointed to a smaller hallway, then led the girl down a third hall. "The guest rooms are usually down this hall, although there are two other master bedrooms that are rarely used not on this hall. We've got company coming tomorrow: Draco's cousin Lauren. I'm sure you've met her. She'll be staying on this hall with you."

"Oh," Estella said, and grinned. "She's cool."

Narcissa smiled in agreement. "Good. Now, here is your room. I had to have it prepared for you because I didn't expect you to come to our house. Change of plans." She opened the door and stepped inside, turning the light on.

Estella walked into the room quietly, then gasped at the largeness of the room. "It's wonderful," she breathed, and Narcissa walked further into the room, turning down the sheets on the bed.

"You can organize yourself now, or wait til after lunch," Narcissa told her. "But you will need to clean up before lunch. Down the hall a little way is the bathroom. I'll show it to you when I leave."

"All right," Estella nodded.

"I will tell Draco to knock on your door on his way to lunch at fifteen minutes til noon," Narcissa continued. "Be completely ready to walk down to the dining hall with him." She chuckled at the look on the girl's face. "It's just to make sure that you can find it. I'm hostess, of course, this being my home, so I have to be in the dining room before everyone else. Come now; I'll show you where the restroom is."

Estella followed the blonde woman from the room after setting her trunk down on the floor and enlarging it. Leaving the door slight ajar, the two walked down the hall to the restroom.

"I don't think you know how to work a bath like this," Narcissa laughed softly. "It's got special effects." She told Estella how to basically work the bath, then said goodbye and left her alone.

"Bath," Estella sighed happily. It seemed a much better idea than taking a nasty shower on the boat. Walking back to her room, she gathered fresh clothes and headed back to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Getting into the warm bath water, she relaxed for a few minutes before turning the handle for the soap and bath oils. She was shocked to find that the soap was actually dispensed in a way that made the bathwater bubbly. The oils smelled delicious and made her so slippery that it was difficult for her to brace herself against the edge of the tub to get up out of it!

When she was dressed in her bathrobe, she wrapped her things back up and dashed back to her room after making sure that no one was watching her. She left her hair down to dry, pulling out a couple robes that she would wear in the next few days. She organized some of her things on the small vanity in the room, then began to separate strands of her hair so that they would dry faster.

Estella finally decided to use a blow drying kind of charm to finish drying her hair quickly. She then grabbed her hair into a ponytail, then clipped it to the back of her head and spread her hair over the clip, covering it. Grinning at herself in the mirror, she admired her style for a moment before rolling her eyes as someone knocked on the door. She walked over and opened the door, finding Draco standing there, looking bored.

"Parkington," he said, sounding rather put out with her. "Are you read—no, you are not. For goodness' sake, put on a robe you can wear in public!"

"Huh?" she looked down and realized she was still wearing her bathrobe. "Oh!" Estella slammed the door in Draco's face, blushing furiously as she changed her clothes. Fuming at herself because she'd just been looking at herself in the mirror and hadn't noticed, she finally finished dressing, double checked her appearance, then joined Draco outside the room once more.

"You have to be fully dressed to enter the dining room," Draco smirked at her. "Otherwise, you have to eat with the house-elves."

She didn't reply, but continued to walk with him, knowing that her ears were burning red with embarrassment. When they entered the hall before the dining room, Draco told her to be silent as she walked into the dining room and took her seat.

However, the instant she walked into the dining room, she gasped in alarm and glanced toward the chair that had had its back to her. Draco rolled his eyes at her again. "Parkington, that's Father's chair. You don't have to be afraid of it. Go sit down next to Mum." Draco sat next to his father and announced, "Estella tried to come to the table in her bathrobe."

Estella sat down next to Narcissa as Draco laughed, silent as her heart pounded fiercely in her chest. She was sitting with her back to the wall with the crest of the House of Malfoy on it, and looked down at her plate, almost scared to look around the dining room.

Lucius looked across the table at her: she could feel his eyes on her, but didn't look up at him. "Estella," he said quietly, "your father was telling the truth about your dream, wasn't he?"

Draco glanced between his father and Estella, then kept his mouth shut. Estella drew a careful breath, then answered, "I don't know what he told you, but if it was what I said, then most likely."

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked them finally, too curious to keep quiet.

"Estella had a dream about the return of the Dark Lord," Narcissa said very quietly, "and—well, would you like to tell it, Estella?"

"Um..." Estella bit her lip. "I was coming down the stairs, actually, when the dream began. I was supposed to be coming to a meeting here in the dining hall, and I didn't want to be late. The room was empty, or so I thought, when I arrived. The Dark Lord was sitting in that chair I was staring at, Draco, when I walked in a few minutes ago."

Draco seemed very skeptical, and Estella continued, sounding strained. "It seemed that he wanted to know if I had decided to become a Death Eater." A gasp escaped Draco, and both older Malfoys raised an eyebrow at her words. "But I was still indecisive, so he tortured me." She bit her lip slightly, then finished, "He told me that when he asked me again, I had to make a decision or he wouldn't be very happy with me. He wanted me to take Father's place as the Serpent Keeper, but I hesitated."

The blonde boy shook his head in confusion. "Why did you hesitate?"

"Because it's not a decision to be made lightly," Estella answered, taking a deep breath. "Once you're in, there's no going back. Death is the price for betrayal, and anything may happen to someone in the service of the Dark Lord. I would not choose that without a very concrete reason."

"So what made your father believe that this was predicting the Dark Lord's imminent return?" Narcissa asked the girl.

"Well, I told Father that I thought I had been older in the dream, probably two or three years older," Estella answered, once again feeling awkward that she was discussing the Dark Lord with the Malfoys. "Also, I have never been here, but I described this room, especial this mural or tapestry behind me, to him. Since my memories have been gone, this dream reminded me that Father had indeed been Serpent Keeper for the Dark Lord, something of my memory that I'd lost. I also saw the Dark Lord's face, which I don't know if Father thought about this, but in dreams, the antagonist usually isn't very clear. The Dark Lord was perfectly clear in my dream. I know exactly how he looked."

"Your father said he expects the Dark Lord to return in one or two years because you told him that the Dark Lord seemed to have been back for some time?" Lucius clarified.

"At least, enough time that most of the World knew about the Dark Lord's return," Estella answered. "Could we talk about something else, please?" She bit her lip and looked at the others pleadingly.

Narcissa gave her a small nod. "Of course, dear." At that moment, lunch arrived, and the four began to eat, almost all quiet. "Lauren and her father will be visiting Malfoy Manor tomorrow afternoon," Narcissa informed Estella more clearly. "Lauren will be staying overnight as I told you earlier, and you and Draco will be entertaining her."

Estella raised an eyebrow. "Okay?" she said uncertainly.

The woman smiled. "You know Lauren, don't you?"

"Well, I've talked to her a little, but I really don't know her," Estella admitted. "She tried to keep me out of trouble a lot of the last part of last year. She's been stalking me too."

"She was amazed at those spells you used after the dementor attack," Draco told her. "Where did you learn those?"

"A friend I had first year," Estella answered. "Lupin taught me the Patronus."

"The werewolf," Draco rolled his eyes. "He—"

"Shut up, Draco," she told him plainly. "I don't want to hear anything you've got to say about him."

Draco huffed at her. "I was going to say that he taught Brianna the Patronus as well, if you don't mind, Parkington."

Ginny was astonished. "That's amazing!" she said in excitement. "I didn't think the twins were capable of producing a Patronus, and I don't even know what's wrong with them, either!"

Narcissa shook her head slightly. "I think they've known you long enough that they should probably tell you," she said. "It is their jealously guarded secret, though, because they would have severe repercussions if the tale were to get out."

"I'm curious, but I never ask because I don't remember at the right time," Estella shrugged, finishing up her last few bites of lunch.

Draco was finished also, and got to his feet. "Care to follow me?" he said. "Parkington?" Estella got to her feet and joined him so quickly that he stepped toward the door in alarm. "You move fast," he commented. "That'll serve you well. Maybe."

Estella followed him out of the room, and he led her into a room lined with books. "No," she said. "You are not giving me a book, Draco."

He sniggered. "No, but you are welcome to choose one to read this evening," he told her. "We don't talk, but we all sit together, and are expected to have something to do with ourselves in that time."

"Oh." Estella stared around the room. "What would you recommend?" she asked Draco.

"Over there," Draco pointed, "are the books with the good curses in them. They explain all about them. I've looked at them all, but there's a lot of material there. We've got books on magical creatures, and books on potions, and other things. We don't a book on every subject, however: there's too many books in the world for that."

Nodding, Estella walked over to the shelves where Draco had pointed for the curse books, and began to read the titles, skimming her fingertip along the book spines. She selected one book, glanced at the cover, and tucked it under her arm, grinning. She walked over to the potions books and selected another, making Draco raise an eyebrow at her.

"I read fast," she explained. "If I don't finish both of them while we're all sitting together, I'll probably finish the second one before bed. If I'm allowed to take the books to my room. These books aren't curse warded, are they?"

"No," Draco waved her off. "That kind is in Father's office. We don't leave those lying around public domain."

"Right," Estella said, and was walking toward the door. "What's this?" she said, and fingered a newspaper that was on the desk in the room. "A _Daily Prophet?_ "

Draco glanced back at her. "Oh, yes. Stupid house-elf didn't throw it away after I read it. It's from yesterday, if you want to look at it."

Estella glanced over the paper very quickly, but only one small story caught her eye. An Auror had been killed while on duty somewhere, and she gasped, picking up the paper to look at it closer. The Auror had been taken to St. Mungo's, but had died before treatment could be given. The Healers said that the Auror had suffered two serpent bites, but was otherwise unharmed.

"What is it?" Draco sighed. "You're always gasping about something. Stop being shocked at your own world, Estella."

"Icythan," Estella breathed, and he slithered out of her collar.

"Yesss, Missstress?" he hissed.

"Did Levir and Lises _sissshausss_ thisss human?" she asked him, feeling slightly ill.

Icythan slithered down to where Estella was holding the paper and answered, "Yesss, Missstress. They are learning the full meaning of protection."

Estella closed her eyes for a minute, then finished reading the story. The paper just said that the man had been out on duty with two other Aurors and found two Dark Wizards they had been tracking for some time. Apparently two snakes (basilisks, Estella knew) had come from nowhere and had attacked the one Auror. The others had managed to avoid the serpents, but it was too late for their colleague. The man had left behind a wife and young daughter.

"I'm responsible for this," Estella hissed at Draco through clenched teeth, showing him the paper and pointing to the story. "The basilisks that did this are the ones that my real father holds, Draco. I gave them to him the night I arrived on the boat with you. This man's death is my fault: it's my fault that his little girl doesn't have a father, and that his wife doesn't have a husband." She turned away from the paper and walked out the door, deeply disturbed.

"This way," Draco told her, and led her toward their sitting room, his own book in his hand.

They walked into the sitting room and Draco pointed out a chair to her before leaving her standing in the doorway as he went to take his seat. With a small sigh, and heart still pounding because of her discovery, Estella went to the chair the boy had pointed out and sat down.

She read the book about curses, wincing at many of them. It didn't surprise her that most of the curses the book listed and explained were ones that weren't illegal, but that she wasn't ready to be caught doing. A couple hours later, she began to read the potions book. Estella realized that the potions book she had pulled out was a very helpful "Potions for the modest home" kind of guide, and looked through it carefully, chuckling softly at a couple of the listed remedies and brews.

A while later, she heard Narcissa's soft laughter, and looked up to see the blonde woman watching her. "Are you falling asleep?" Narcissa asked her with a small smile. "You can retire early if you wish. I'm sure you need to catch up on your rest."

Estella got to her feet, gathering the two books that she'd been reading and making her way toward the door. Narcissa stood and followed her, shutting the door on Lucius and Draco behind them. The blonde woman glanced over at Estella, then asked, "You found that article from yesterday, didn't you? Are you all right, Estella?"

"I'm okay," she muttered. "I know that it wasn't my command they were obeying, but I still feel bad. I just helped make a little girl fatherless, Cissa."

"I'm sorry," Narcissa said quietly, then squeezed Estella's shoulder slightly. "I know you don't want to do that, dear."

"I don't like it," Estella sighed, walking into her room. She looked around, then back at Narcissa. "What did you come with me for?"

"I thought that I might wait til you were dressed for bed in case you need to be tucked in," Narcissa answered, a little colour presenting itself in her face. "You probably don't need that, though, do you?"

Estella shrugged. "If you want," she said, feeling really awkward. Narcissa left the room, and the girl changed into her nightgown, crawling into bed before she waved the door open again with her wand.

Narcissa walked into the room and up to the bed, tilting her head slightly as she looked down at the dark-haired girl. "I always wanted a daughter," she said, almost nervously. "Does it feel scary that I'd like to pretend you're my daughter for a couple days?"

"Um, no," Estella answered, "not really. Just weird. And I don't understand why you would pretend with me. Why didn't you have a little girl of your own?"

"The House of Malfoy only needed an Heir," Narcissa explained very quietly, as if she was speaking of something very close to her heart. "Draco was enough for Lucius and me, although I do wish I'd been more insistent sometimes."

"You can pretend with me, though," Estella gave her permission. "I think you'd be a good mother for a little girl."

Narcissa smiled weakly. "Thank you, dear," she said, then pulled the sheets and blankets up over the girl comfortably. She tucked the ends of the sheets in, then gave the girl a real smile. "Is that all right?" Estella nodded, smiling back, and Narcissa leaned down, kissing her forehead and making her gasp softly in pleasant surprise. "Goodnight, dear," she murmured. "You don't have to come to breakfast tomorrow if you don't want to. You do remember where the dining hall is, though, do you not?"

Estella nodded again, curling up beneath the blankets and closing her eyes. "It depends on how long I sleep," she said with a yawn. "I might, but I might not."

"You'll have to be awake and completely dressed before Lauren arrives, but that should be simple enough for you," Narcissa said, then stepped back from the bed. "Good night, dear. Rest well and sweet dreams now."

"Oh, yes," Estella smiled as Narcissa left the room. "Why am I so special to her?" she muttered to no one in particular. "It's so weird that I'd meet her and she'd treat me like a cross between her sister and her own daughter. I don't know if I should feel privileged, or imprisoned." She yawned hugely, then closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

In the morning, she woke up by herself and found it to be mid-morning. She guessed that neither Narcissa nor Draco had tried to wake her because she hadn't heard any noises outside the door. She lay in bed for several long minutes as she tried to wake herself up more. Finally, she grabbed her wand and summoned her robe for the day, getting dressed as she lay in bed.

She got out of bed and brushed out her hair, putting her shoes on before she left the room. Estella decided to see if Draco was still in his room, but couldn't exactly remember where the Malfoy boy's room was. She walked down one of the hallways that Narcissa had pointed out and looked around a bit before spotting a door that was slightly ajar, soft light coming through the crack in it.

Curious, Estella walked through the door, and the instant it shut behind her, strong wards went up on the door and the entire room. She froze, looking around in alarm, but found that the rather large room was a nursery and a child's bedroom all in one. It wasn't until she was almost all the way across the room that she noticed something moving ever so slightly.

Almost shrieking in surprise, she saw a small, blonde child lying asleep in the nursery crib. "Oh my goodness," she whispered, coming closer and watching the little one. It was a little girl, and Estella began to wonder at Narcissa's words the night before. "You're not a Malfoy, are you?" Estella whispered to the child that couldn't have been older than toddler age. "Narcissa said she didn't have any daughters."

The child suddenly stirred softly, giving a little cry before opening her eyes. "Ma?" the child whispered, staring at Estella. "Mum?"

"No," Estella said back, coming closer and getting down to look at the little girl. The child had very startling blue eyes, almost like Narcissa's. "I'm just Estella. I'm visiting here at your house."

"Come," commanded the child, sitting up and getting to her feet before holding her arms out to be lifted from the crib.

Estella bit her lip, then answered the call of the little one as she gave a second sharp command. She sat down next to the crib, the little girl on her lap. The child reached up, patting Estella's face almost searchingly, then grabbed her dark hair and yanked it. "Hey!" Estella giggled, and the little girl giggled as well. "What's your name, little one?" Estella asked her.

"Ai-linn," answered the little girl. "Ai-linn two."

"Two years old?" Estella asked, and the girl nodded, grinning up at her new friend. "Have you been here your whole life? With Cissa, and Draco?"

"D'aco," the girl said, grinning. "D'aco—" hearing footsteps, the girl turned toward the door Estella had come through. "Mum!" The door opened and Draco stepped inside. "Mum!" pouted the little girl.

Estella opened her mouth to say something, but was hit by a spell from Draco's wand before she had known he had it drawn. "What's going on?" she gasped, finding herself pinned to the wall, unable to move.

"Mother!" shouted Draco, grabbing the little girl with his other hand when she tried to run to Estella. "Mother!"

"D'aco!" shouted the little girl angrily. "Let me go! She's nice!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Draco snapped at Estella, his face drawn and white. "Just what—" he swore at her "are you doing in here?"

Estella stared at Draco, his wand pointed at her as he controlled the little girl with his other arm. The door opened, and Estella nearly sighed in relief until she saw the look on Narcissa's face.

Draco turned to his mother a little. "I found her in here with Aislinn, Mother," he whispered. "I don't know how she got in. The wards—"

"The door was open," Estella muttered, still unable to move.

"Aislinn, hush," Narcissa said softly, taking the little girl from Draco. "You cannot go to her." The little girl flopped against her mother's shoulder, pouting. "How could the door have been open?" Narcissa breathed.

"I—I might have left it open," Draco breathed, looking terrified. "Mother, I—"

Narcissa glanced at him, then said, "I'll take care of her, Draco. Thank you."

Draco left the room almost at a run, and Estella slid down the wall as Draco's spell wore off. "Who—who is she?" Estella managed to ask, her heart pounding in trepidation.

The blonde woman held the little girl close and whispered, "This is my daughter, my baby girl, Aislinn Malfoy. Why were you over here? Your room is on the other hall."

"I was trying to remember where Draco's room was," Estella said in a small voice, "and I saw this open door, so I came in. And I found the little girl. Why doesn't anyone know about her?"

"Oh, Estella," sighed Narcissa, sitting down on the chair beside the crib. "No one knows about her because she is so much younger than Draco, and also because—" Narcissa hesitated, cuddling her daughter close "we're afraid she might not—she might not have magic."

Estella frowned, then gasped, her eyes widening as she realized what Narcissa meant. Little Aislinn looked at Estella, her blue eyes curious. "Oh, no," Estella whispered, horror struck.

Narcissa nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. "No one can know," she said sharply. "Until we are certain. I won't let any harm befall her, Estella. She is my daughter." She carried her little girl over to the crib and kissed her forehead before setting her down in the crib. "I won't change your memory, Estella, but I do have to keep you from speaking of this."

Estella was still sitting against the wall as Narcissa walked over to her, the door opening a third time. "Narcissa?" came Lucius' voice.

"I've got it under control," Narcissa said, kneeling down beside Estella to look straight into her eyes. "This enchantment will keep you from speaking of Aislinn to anyone, Estella. It won't hurt, but it will make you feel very sick. And if you try to speak of her to anyone, this spell will remind you very harshly that you can't. So don't try it."

"I wouldn't," Estella whispered, her face pale, eyes wide with fright.

"It doesn't matter," Narcissa said firmly, reaching out and grasping Estella's shoulder as she brought her wand closer to the girl's face. As she touched her wand to the dark-haired girl's forehead, the girl began to weep softly. The enchantment took several minutes, but none of them spoke, and Narcissa's expression of determination did not change.

When Narcissa had finished, she looked at Estella, then sighed. "We didn't want you to find out, Estella. Secrets are meant to be kept."

The girl didn't reply, scooting away from Narcissa as the blonde woman got to her feet. Lucius crossed the room, lifting his daughter into his arms and joining Narcissa. Aislinn looked from her mother to the other girl, then said, "Mum? Why did you make her cry?"

"Shhh, darling," Narcissa murmured, smoothing her daughter's blonde hair. "Estella is probably upset with Mum for putting a spell on her. Don't worry about it."

"Stel?" Aislinn said, looking down at the dark-haired girl. "Mum's good, Stel."

Estella looked up at the little girl in her father's arms and sniffled, her arms wrapped around her knees. Aislinn pointed at the other girl. "May I see her, Da?"

Lucius glanced at Narcissa, then set the child on the floor. Aislinn walked across the small room to Estella, who just looked at her, her eyes teary. "No cry," Aislinn told her, reaching up and touching a tear on Estella's cheek. "Stel okay." The little girl reached out and gave Estella a tiny hug.

Ginny sniffled, tears running down her cheeks again. "I'm sorry," she whispered, then put her arms around the blonde child and wept. "I'm sorry, Aislinn." The little girl snuggled onto her lap, and Estella held the little girl close, thinking frightening thoughts.

 _What if she is a Squib_? Estella worried. _What will happen to her? She's so sweet! Little Aislinn Malfoy, she looks so much like her mother!_ She gave the little girl a more firm hug, then looked up at Narcissa. "Sorry," she whispered, blinking before she wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry, Cissa."

Narcissa nodded, then reached down and offered her hand to Estella, helping her and Aislinn up. The woman gave Estella a reassuring hug, murmuring, "It's not your fault, dear. Do you feel all right?"

Estella shook her head, and Narcissa took Aislinn from her. "You know where the restroom is if you need it, Estella. Do you need anything?"

"No," Estella answered, sighing softly. "I just want to be alone."

"All right," Narcissa answered, and the dark-haired girl left the room very quickly.

Estella went straight back to her room and threw herself down onto the bed, crying in horror and shock. She had felt almost strangled during the spell Narcissa had done, and when her tongue had rolled up she had nearly choked. She couldn't believe that the little girl she had just seen was Draco's little sister. Beginning to feel even more sick, she got to her feet and hurried to the bathroom to be ill.

She sat down on the bathroom floor and laid her head against the cool bathtub, unwilling to move in case she became sick again. She rested there, crying off and on in disbelief, partially because she felt as if she'd betrayed Narcissa's trust. After a couple hours of feeling queasy, Estella fell asleep against the bathtub.

A while later, Estella felt someone tap her on the arm and jerked awake, staring up into Draco's grey eyes. "What?" she gasped, remembering everything and shuddering. "What's going on?"

"If you're all right, you can freshen up and come with me to be ready to greet Lauren," Draco told her. "Otherwise, you can go to sleep in your room."

"Oh." She shifted slightly, then dragged herself to her feet. "I forgot Lauren was coming here." Estella closed her eyes for a moment, biting her lip. "I didn't mean to fall asleep in here."

Draco nodded. "Will you be joining me, then?" The girl agreed, and Draco seemed almost disturbed. "Then I'll wait for you outside your room. You do look as if you could use a little bit of cleaning up, Estella."

She glanced at herself in the mirror, then sighed. "Okay. I will. Thanks, Draco."

He didn't reply, but left her alone again. Biting her lip, she washed her face, then walked to her room, passing Draco in the hall. She changed her robes, then recombed her hair before joining Draco on the way to the sitting room.

"We will greet her and her father before we move on, probably out into the garden so that her father and mine can speak about more important issues," Draco told her without a smirk, almost distantly.

"Okay." Estella took a seat beside him, not looking at the two older Malfoys, the four waiting in silence.

When Lauren and her father arrived, Estella was surprised to find that Alvin, Theo, and their father had come with them. None of the Malfoys seemed surprised, however, so she kept quiet until she had to say a proper hello. Theo gave her a strange look, then said, "How did you get here?"

Estella smiled weakly. "I was kidnapped. Mr. Weasley arranged it himself."

Alvin chuckled, and Lauren shook her head slightly. "You are all right, though, aren't you? You do look unnaturally pale, even for your normally pale skin."

"I'm fine," Estella answered, although she was almost feeling sick again. She was very glad when the others headed out to the garden, her following them and sitting down with them at the clearing surrounded by the torches of Fire.

She listened to them, not speaking unless she was specifically asked a question. After a while, Alvin and Lauren excused themselves to take a walk in the garden, and Draco looked over at Estella. "I'm going up to the house," the girl said quietly, getting to her feet and beginning to leave Draco and Theo to talk.

"Are you sure you can find it?" Draco said coldly. "Or do you need me to summon a house-elf to help you?"

"I don't need anything from you, Draco Malfoy," Estella answered in the same tone. She walked away as fast as she could before she decided that he really did need to be hexed.

She went back to her room as fast as she could, trying to avoid everyone in the house. It wasn't hard, for the adults were all closeted away and the children were out in the garden. Estella curled up in a chair in her room, reading her second book from the previous day.

An hour or two later, she heard a pop and looked up to see a house-elf looking at her. "Yes?" she said cautiously.

"Ms. Estella must come to lunch!" it squeaked, then disapparated with another pop.

Estella glared at the spot where the house-elf had been, then glanced at the clock. It was fifteen minutes until noon, just when they were supposed to gather in. She got up, made sure she was presentable, then walked down toward the dining room, hearing the other young ones coming in from the garden.

When she walked into the dining room, the four adults, the three men and Narcissa, looked up at her. Lauren's and Alvin's fathers were staring at her intently as if they expected her to do something or to say something inspirational. She gave them an uncomfortable nod, then took her seat opposite them at the table.

The others came into the room quietly, but all grinning, and sat down at the table. Estella didn't watch them, thankful that no one spoke to her or asked her questions. She felt very nervous about the adults watching her as they had. All she wanted to do now was go home where she would be safe. Hopefully. She forced herself to eat lunch when it was served, wanting even more to be far, far away from Malfoy, Malfoy, and Malfoy.

So much for the camaraderie she'd had with Narcissa. She'd ruined that in an instant by opening the wrong door. _Why is it always the wrong book, the wrong door_ —Estella barely managed to keep herself from glaring at her bite of food before she ate it. Under an enchantment that she didn't understand—and didn't want to understand—she didn't know what to do except hide from the world until she felt safe enough to talk and show her face again.

As soon as they were dismissed from the table, Estella slipped off to her room. A little while later, she heard a knock on her door and sighed softly before calling, "Come in!"

To her surprise, it was Lauren who entered the room when the door opened! "Hi," Lauren said with a small grin. "I guess you didn't expect me to be knocking at the door."

"There shouldn't be any reason for it, should there?" Estella asked, half confused, half annoyed.

"No," Lauren answered, then said, "Are you all right, Estella? You seem...very thoughtful today."

"I think too much," Estella said darkly. "And I dream too much. But I'll be all right once I get home. I've just got to get back to familiar territory."

Lauren gave her a real smile. "Right," she said softly. "May I sit down?"

Ginny nodded and sat up from her chair, setting her book aside. The two talked for a little while, Lauren answering some of the questions about the Malfoy family that Estella never could have asked the family themselves.

Another knock came on the door, and as Estella rolled her eyes, Draco shouted, "Parkington?"

"Yes, Draco darling?" she shouted back without a drop of endearment in her voice.

"Is Lauren in there?" came his voice, the annoyance he was unable to disguise thrilling Estella.

"Yes," laughed the dark-haired girl from inside the room. "Do you want to see what he wants?" she asked Lauren, who had both eyebrows raised in amusement.

Lauren got up and went to the door, swinging her blonde hair in front of her shoulders. "What is it, Draco?"

Draco glared past Lauren into the room at Estella, then turned back to his cousin and said, "Your father and the Notts are leaving, if you would like to come say goodbye."

"All right," she nodded. "Coming, Stel?"

"Not her!" Estella heard Draco hiss to Lauren as the two walked ahead.

Biting her lip, Estella followed them, staying a little way back as they walked into the entrance hall where the others were. Lauren's father, Marshall, and Alvin, Theo, and their father Payton all turned to look at the girl when she walked in. Estella nodded at them politely, then hung back behind the rest of the persons in the room, watching and listening silently.

After they had gone, Narcissa turned to Lauren and Estella. "It's good that you two were visiting. Did you get settled in, Lauren?"

"Yes, thank you, Aunt Cissa," Lauren answered. "Would it be horribly rude of me if I hid away with Estella until supper? We were having...girl to girl conversations."

"That's fine," Narcissa chuckled at the expression on Draco's face. "By the way, Estella, you will be returning home tomorrow."

"Thanks," Estella said gratefully, and was sure that everyone could see how relieved she was to be getting her ticket out of Malfoy Manor. She and Lauren went back, this time to Lauren's room, and the two talked and laughed, distracting Estella from her worries.


	9. Chapter 9

_A newly four year old Ginny Weasley sat in her room, playing on the floor one evening while she waited for her dad to come put her to bed. A noise distracted her from the toy, and she looked up to see a dark-haired woman come into the room through the window. A cry escaped her, and the woman said softly, "Hush, darling. It's just Mum."_

 _"_ _N—no," Ginny said, confused. She was about to say something else when a man came in through the window and stood beside the woman._

 _"_ _Estella," the man said softly, a small smile on his lips. "You're ssso beautiful, sssweetling."_

 _"_ _I Ginny," the child emphasized, and the woman's eyes widened._

 _"_ _No, dear, you're my daughter, Estella. I'm your mother," the dark-haired woman told her, coming to kneel beside her to cuddle the child._

 _Ginny scooted away from the woman's arms, frowning at her. "You're not Mum," she said firmly. "Mum has red hair."_

 _The new woman looked stunned, and the man joined her on the floor before the child. "Don't you remember us, Estella?" he murmured. "We have been away for a while, but we're your real parents."_

 _Ginny shook her head. "No," she said firmly, then looked up, ready to shout for her Weasley father._

 _The new woman reached over and grabbed her daughter's arm firmly, making the girl gasp in fright as the man put up special wards in the room. "Don't you remember me?" whispered the woman, looking into the little girl's eyes with pain in her own black eyes. "I'm Meretta Parkington, your mother!"_

 _"_ _No!" cried Ginny, struggling. "Let go of me!" Her magic crackled wildly and the woman shoved her away, gasping as she looked at the burns on her hands._

 _"_ _I taught you better control than that!" Meretta snapped at the little girl who merely backed away, scared at what she had done._

 _"_ _Meretta," said the man quietly, "she doesn't remember. I guess we were away too long."_

 _"_ _No!" Meretta whispered vehemently, looking back into the girl's eyes. "Estella, I came to see you at the orphanage all the time. I've tried to take care of you as much as I could—"_

 _"_ _I not Stella!" the little girl insisted, glaring at the woman as she realized the woman wouldn't hurt her._

 _Reginald put his arm around Meretta, who quailed in horror at the sight of her daughter denying her own name. "Meretta, let's go," he said very gently._

 _Meretta stared at the red-haired child, fury burning in her heart. "I'll never be caught," she hissed through her teeth. "I'll_ die _first. After everything I've been through, and now—I'll die first. Estella—"_

 _The little girl looked up at Meretta, her eyes blank. "Tell Dad I wanna sleep?" she asked them._

 _Reginald stopped in his tracks, turning back to his small daughter. "Darling?" he said softly, and she looked at him. "Please?" He came across the room to her and knelt before her again. "Estella, sweetling, I love you," he told her softly. "When you learn of us again, please don't think of us too badly. We love you so much, and we've done everything we could think of to take care of you while staying out of prison. I'm sorry, sweetling."_

 _He hugged the little girl and kissed her forehead, hearing Meretta take a deep breath. "We've failed her," Meretta choked, and he got up, coming over and slipping his arm around her to allow her to lean against his chest. "I won't let this happen with Shaul. I_ won't _. Oh, Reg, she doesn't even know who I am!"_

 _"_ _Meretta, we've got to go," Reginald said firmly, putting his own emotions on hold. They could hear footsteps on the stairs._

 _"_ _Wait," Meretta said through clenched teeth, her wand in her hand. Quickly, and in jagged, threatening letters, she wrote_ Take good care of our daughter _in the middle of the air. She made sure that the letters would stay until they were seen by both Weasley adults, then turned toward the door._

 _Reginald had to help her walk so she wouldn't stumble and fall, and the little girl watched them head toward the window. Ginny tilted her head a little when the man looked back at her, wondering why the woman had tears splashing down her cheeks, and why the man looked so distraught. "I sorry," Ginny called after them as they disappeared._

 _The door to her room opened and Arthur Weasley gave a shout of surprise. "Did you do that?" he asked her. "Who did that?"_

 _"_ _A big girl," Ginny answered as her father picked her up, cuddling her close. "What is it? She cried when she did it, Daddy. Why did she cry?"_

 _"_ _Where is she now?" Arthur asked, trying not to show his alarm._

 _"_ _She went through the window," Ginny pointed, snuggling tiredly against her father's chest. "With the boy."_

 _"_ _There was a man and woman in here?" Arthur said to her, trying to understand what she meant. "Did you really see them, or are you making them up?"_

 _Ginny huffed. "They came through the window," she told him firmly. "She cried, Da. Why did she cry?"_

 _Her dad was silent a moment, then said, "Because she's lost something very special, darling," he told her. "Now why don't you go to sleep, okay? Here's teddy." He set her in her toddler_ _bed and tucked her in, placing her furry teddy bear in her arms. "Good night, Ginny," he murmured. "I love you."_

 _Ginny looked up at him and wondered that the look in her father's eyes matched the look in the stranger's eyes as he'd said the same thing._

Ginny woke up trembling, breathless with the feeling of horror her parents must have felt in the memory. "Mother!" she choked, summoning her teddy bear from her trunk. "Father! Oh, Mummy!"

She shivered and trembled as she remembered the frantic look in her mother's eyes as she tried to get her young daughter to remember her. "I'm sorry!" she sobbed finally, curling up tightly. "I'm sorry!"

"Missstress!" hissed Icythan and Sadura together. "Missstress's sssire wishes to know if she isss all right!"

Estella sobbed upon hearing her father's inquiry, unable to answer. The door to the room flew open, and she gasped in near terror, scooting away from Narcissa as she approached the bed. "No—no—no!" she wept, watching Narcissa in alarm.

The bitemates hissed louder, pressing her for an answer, and Narcissa said in concern, "Estella, dear, you were shouting in your sleep. Was it a nightmare? Did I frighten you that much yesterday?"

"I'm fine," she hissed to her bitemates, still sobbing into her sheets. She cried more softly, sometimes going completely silent, but staring at Narcissa the whole time. Finally, she whispered, "No, it's—it's my memories. They—they come back to me in my dreams. I never knew that my mum and dad came to the Burrow to see me and found I didn't remember them! I always thought that Mother decided to abandon me and—and Father went along with it!"

"Of course not, dear," Narcissa soothed her, coming closer and slipping her arms around the distraught child. "If you didn't remember them, there was no reason for them to return. I am sure your parents did everything they could and visited as much as was safe until there was no use in returning anymore."

Estella felt Narcissa sit down on the bed beside her in order to hold her better, and clung to the woman tightly. "I didn't think she cared that much," she almost whimpered. "I didn't think she—didn't think she loved me enough to stay."

Narcissa hugged Estella reassuringly. "She stayed around and kept you as long as she could," the blonde woman told her. "She'd take you back with her if she could. I think, if she's staying in the Chamber, as you said, that you might be able to get reacquainted with her. Your mother might be a little hard to get along with at first, but most strangers are that way, even estranged family members."

"I wish it could have been different," Estella whispered, her body still trembling as she held tightly to Narcissa. "I—I want a mother, but I don't have one. Even though I have two. It's horrible!" She kind of hid her face in Narcissa's robe and clung to her, sniffling as tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Cissa," she choked. "About—"

"Oh," Narcissa sighed softly. "I'm not angry, or even upset with you, Estella. I only want to protect my family, just as I believe you want to protect yours. In fact, I was going to take her somewhere after you went home, but perhaps you should come with us. It'll be perfectly safe, and I can explain some things to you. It'll be just you, me, and Aislinn."

"Okay," Estella sniffled, then asked, "Why is Draco mad at me? He's been acting like he hates the very sight of me since yesterday."

Narcissa nodded understandingly. "He was punished for leaving the door open," she said very quietly so that Estella was almost unable to hear her. "He does blame you, of course, for going into the room, but curiousity cannot be contained by wards that do not exist. But we must speak of this later, when we are more alone. Would you like some tea to help you relax, dear?"

Estella finally nodded, and got out of bed, putting on her bathrobe and following Narcissa out into the hall. The bitemates began to hiss again, and Estella said, "Please tell Father that I had another dream in which I relived more of my childhood memories. Thisss one disturbed me because Mother wasss crying in it, and I've never ssseen her cry over anything, leassst of all me."

They arrived in a small, comfortable room, Narcissa motioning Estella to sit down in one of the soft, warm chairs. "This is the room that I spend most of my time in when I'm not playing hostess or something like that. It's very warm and relaxing. Lucius has found me sleeping in these chairs so many times that he's given up on waking me if I fall asleep in here."

The girl grinned a little, then bit her lip as her father's reply came: "It mussst be the one where we realized you didn't remember usss. We did not know then that your memory had been altered. We thought you had sssimply forgotten usss, and that we had failed our oldessst child in the worssst way."

"Yesss," Estella hissed to her father. "I'm sssorry, Da. I'm fine: Narcissa came to me and isss getting sssome hot tea for me to relax. Thanksss for being concerned about me."

"I love you," Reginald said, then turned over in the bed and slipped his arms around Meretta once more. She was scowling in annoyance at being awakened. "I'm going back to sleep," he hissed to Estella, "but take care of yourssself, sssweetling."

"I will," Estella promised as Narcissa inquired as to what tea the girl wanted. Estella replied that she wanted black tea with two sugar cubes and a little bit of milk or cream. "Thanks," she said softly, then gave in to her desire and curled up, drawing her feet up onto the chair.

Smiling, Narcissa summoned a cozy blanket out of a drawer nearby and spread it over the dark-haired girl, tucking her in. "If you fall asleep, would you like me to take you back to your bed and throw out your tea, or wake you up so you can drink your tea?"

Estella shrugged and smiled weakly as Narcissa laughed more. "Um, probably take me back to my room?" she said. "I'm terrible company, but especially when I'm mostly asleep. I'd do something really stupid and embarrass everyone. Not that I don't do that already."

"You're fine," Narcissa told her with a small smile. "Everyone embarrasses themselves, dear. It's all in the way you react to your embarrassment. And here is our tea." She took the tray from the house-elf, motioning Estella toward her cup.

"Thanks," Estella murmured, lifting the cup to her lips and drinking slowly. She set her cup down, then asked Narcissa, "What time is it?"

"Nearly five thirty," Narcissa answered. "In fact, I should go get ready for the day." She glanced down at her dressing robe in dismay. "I came running when I heard you cry out." Estella looked down, her cheeks turning slightly pink. Getting to her feet, Narcissa said, "I shall return in a few minutes. You should wash up as well, Estella, and meet me back here."

Estella nodded, and the two left the room, walking together until Narcissa headed down her hall, leaving Estella to her own room. She quickly put on a decent everyday robe, then brushed her hair and slipped her shoes on. When she got back to Narcissa's special room, she found that the blonde woman had not returned to it yet. Sitting down, Estella picked up her hot tea and continued to sip it, sighing in enjoyment.

Moments later, Narcissa opened the door, entered, and shut it quickly behind her. As she sat down, Estella saw that she was cradling a sleeping child in her arms. "She didn't really want to wake up, so I dressed her while she was asleep," Narcissa said softly, smiling a little at her little girl.

"How old is she?" Estella asked. "She told me she was two—" she bit her lip slightly, not wanting to say anything wrong.

"She is," Narcissa replied. "And she'll turn three on December tenth. She was my early Christmas present during Draco's first year at Hogwarts. Aislinn was also a surprise to us: Lucius and I had only planned on one child." She smiled and hugged her sleeping daughter gently. "We were blessed with a second."

"She's adorable," Estella said softly, tilting her head and watching the child sleep, her head against her mother's robe.

Narcissa glanced at her, then smiled proudly, looking back down at her daughter. "I love her," Narcissa whispered. "I don't want anything to happen to her. Are you ready to go?"

Estella nodded, setting her teacup down. "Where are we going?"

"Just to a far away part of the Malfoy estate," Narcissa explained, getting to her feet and cuddling her little one close. "It's extremely warded to the fullest. I told Lucius that I was taking you and Aislinn there, and he said not to stay past seven, so we've got to move quickly. It's nearly six now."

"Oh." Estella quickly got to her feet, slipping her cloak around her shoulders as Narcissa led her through the halls, her wand held ready in her right hand.

They walked out into the garden, straight to the fountain, and Narcissa looked down at Aislinn. "Estella, do you think you could hold Aislinn while I apparate?" she asked hesitantly.

Estella drew a breath slowly, then nodded, awkwardly taking the toddler into her arms as Narcissa carefully and tenderly laid her child in Estella's arms. "She's so light!" Estella said in surprise.

"Yes," Narcissa said, then caught Estella by her arm and disapparated.

"Ma!" cried the child when they had fully appeared. "Mum!"

"It's okay, darling," Narcissa said softly, gently placing her hand on the child's back as she surveyed the area. "Mama's here."

Aislinn looked around at her mother, then made a small sound and looked straight into Estella's face. "Ooh!" she said, patting Estella's cheek curiously. "Ma, she came back!"

Narcissa smiled and nodded. "Put her down," she told Estella, who obeyed even though Aislinn grabbed at her robes and protested. "Aislinn, we're going to walk a little way," her mother told her.

The blonde child pouted, then grinned up at Estella when the older girl took her hand firmly to lead her along. "Ooh!" shouted Aislinn after a moment, and ran toward a patch of grassy flowers.

"Let her go," Narcissa told Estella, who had started after her. "This is a small area that is warded against her running out of sight and out of grasping distance. She'll be okay."

"Does she get out very much?" Estella asked in concern.

"No," Narcissa sighed, "and you must think that's terrible, Stel, but if the world was to find out about her, we might be forced to give her up."

Estella scowled. "To keep your place in the world, no doubt," she sputtered in annoyance. "And you would do that? To your own daughter?"

Narcissa closed her eyes. "I cannot truly expect you to understand all that is involved with Aislinn's birth and existence, Estella, but I will try to explain." Narcissa took a deep breath, then opened her eyes and conjured a blanket, spreading it on the ground before she sat down carefully and patted the blanket for Estella to take a seat.

"If she has no magic, and it is discovered," Narcissa said quietly, "the House of Malfoy will be expected to get rid of her in whatever way we can. Not too many years ago, that would have meant a ritual killing, Estella." The dark-haired girl gaped in horror at the blonde woman sitting beside her. "Times have changed, and I must say I am thankful," Narcissa said. "I could never do that to any family member of mine. In this time, we would only have to send her to an orphanage, or to a Muggle family, and never contact her, claiming she has no place with us."

"I'm sorry," whispered Estella, looking over at the little girl who was giggling and laughing as she ran through the grass.

"There is no way now, even under Veritaserum, that you could tell anyone about Aislinn," Narcissa told Estella. "I bound you so tightly there is no way you could speak of her to anyone except me, Lucius, and Draco. Do not attempt to speak to Lucius of the child. He—he already believes that she's a—a Squib, and won't even give her a chance. He doesn't speak to her, or anything, really. I could not believe that he held her the morning Draco found you in there. It was a miracle: it really was. And Draco—he loves his little sister, but he hates to admit it because he's afraid he might have to give her up as well. That is also why he seems to hate you so much right now. He would be furious if you were the one by whom our secret escaped."

"I wouldn't betray your family," Estella said firmly, resolutely. "As much as I don't get along with the boys."

Narcissa laughed. "Bless you, child."

Aislinn turned toward the sound of her mother's laughter. "Hey!" she called, pointing at Estella. "Come here!"

Estella looked at Narcissa for permission, then got to her feet and joined Aislinn, who was pointing at something on the ground. "That's a slug, Islie," she told the little girl, who squatted down and poked at it with her fingers.

"Ew!" said the little girl. "Sticky bug!"

"Yes," giggled Estella. "It's slimy, and squishy gooey too."

"Don't let her get all sticky," Narcissa called to Estella.

"Squish!" said Aislinn, reaching out her foot to stomp on it.

"No!" Estella said sharply, pulling the little girl back. "It's a little slug, Islie. Don't hurt it!"

The child pouted, then looked down at the slug again. "Little? Like Ai-linn?"

Estella nodded. "Yes. It needs a chance to grow up. So we can just watch it. Okay?"

Aislinn turned away from the slug, no longer interested. "Bird!" she said excitedly, pointing up.

Sure enough, two blackbirds were flying over their heads. "Yes!" Estella grinned at the child. "They're blackbirds. And they're probably looking for breakfast!"

"Ooh!" Aislinn said happily, clapping her hands. She reached over after a moment and yanked a flower off the stem, sticking her nose in it and sniffing it. "Ma!" she called, then hurried over to her mother, offering her the flower. "Here!"

"Thank you," Narcissa told her daughter with a smile, taking the flower carefully and sniffing it. "Your flower is lovely, darling." She offered the flower back to Aislinn, but the little girl refused it.

"Mum keep!" Aislinn insisted. "Islie get other one!" The little girl toddled back over to the flowers and picked one, handing it to Estella before picking a third for herself. She grinned at both of them happily, then hurried over to the blanket and plopped herself down on it, rolling over onto her back.

When Estella got down on the blanket beside the girl, Aislinn sat up and looked down at Estella in surprise. "Get off!" she commanded. "Mine!"

Narcissa gently touched her daughter's back with her fingertips. "Don't you want to share your nice blanket with your friend, Aislinn? There is plenty of room for her to be here too."

"Over there," Aislinn pointed on her other side. She didn't seem to want Estella to block her view of her mother.

"Okay," Estella agreed, lying down and curling up, facing the two Malfoys. She must have fallen asleep, because she woke up a while later to hear someone hissing Narcissa's name. She sat up and realized that Lucius was standing there, seething with fury.

"What is it, Lucius?" came Narcissa's slightly drugged-sounding voice.

"You fell asleep out here!" he hissed at her, leaning closer. "It's seven thirty!" He switched from English to French, and Narcissa watched him, nodding a couple times and seeming a little shaken.

Estella sat up, and Lucius looked over at her, making her shrink away at the Dark look in his eyes. Narcissa gathered herself together and smoothed her hair quickly before turning to Estella. "You've got to stay out here with Aislinn until I can come back for you. I'm sorry, Estella. You'll have to go home this afternoon instead of this morning." Narcissa got to her feet and left with Lucius after telling Estella that she could conjure anything she and Aislinn needed.

The dark-haired girl sat up, looking at Aislinn and sighing. She glanced around, wondering what they would do or how long it would take for Narcissa to be able to come back for them. Estella drew her wand and conjured a shade for them so that Aislinn and she wouldn't be in direct sunlight. A little while later, the toddler woke and cried out for her mother.

"Darling, Mum had to go back to the house," Estella said softly, helping the little one into her lap, sitting up a little. "She'll be back for us soon."

"No!" Aislinn crossed her arms. "Mum always gone!"

"I'm sorry," Estella sighed, trying to cuddle the little one as best as she could. "Mum will be back soon, Islie. She's good to you: my father was right. Cissa is good."

"Your da?" Aislinn asked, distracted.

Estella nodded. "My dad says that your mum is good and that I could learn a lot from her," she told the toddler, knowing that none of what she was saying would probably make sense to Aislinn. "I like your mum: she's been very nice to me in spite of everything that I've done wrong."

Aislinn got out of the older girl's lap, hurrying away to investigate something else in the grass. It wasn't until nearly nine o' clock when Narcissa arrived and hurried forward, calling her daughter and Estella. Aislinn came running and Estella caught her up, Narcissa grasping Estella's arm and disapparating.

"Hurry!" Narcissa hissed, taking Aislinn from Estella and holding her so to shield her from view with her body. "We've got to get her up to the room. Draco and Lauren are somewhere in the garden right now, and she must not know!"

Without speaking, Estella hurried by Narcissa's side, Aislinn silent at her mother's quiet, firm order. When they reached the room, Narcissa opened it and the three entered the room, the woman sighing in relief. "Thank goodness," she breathed. "It was stupid of me to fall asleep."

"All of us did," Estella said softly, "but we are all safe, and Aislinn was not found."

"That's true," Narcissa said with a weak smile. "Thank you for staying with her."

"I was happy to," Estella replied, giving her a nod. She then bit her lip nervously. "Was Lucius angry? He looked like he was."

Narcissa sighed as she began to clean her daughter up from her play. "Lucius knows that I want Aislinn to be safe, and wanted to make sure that I knew I had put her in danger by falling asleep. And no, child, he doesn't blame you for my falling asleep. However, it is time for you to return home. Are you packed?"

Estella nodded. "I have been since you told me that I was to leave today," she told Narcissa.

The woman smiled. "Very good. After we're finished here, we can gather your things and send you home."

"Are they expecting me?" Estella asked after a moment. "Or is this supposed to be a surprise?"

"They have been expecting you all morning," Narcissa replied. "It is just now that we are able to send you home. We were only to keep you for ten days, anyway."

"All right," Estella answered, then hugged Aislinn when Narcissa was finished with her. "Goodbye," she told the beautiful blonde child. "I'll see you later, okay, sweetling?"

"Bye," pouted Aislinn, sniffling a little as both other persons left her alone in the crib in her room.

Narcissa walked leisurely down the hall toward the sitting room, saying to Estella, "Go get your things together, and wash up if you need to. You'll be leaving by the Floo in the sitting room."

Estella hurried away to her room and packed her last few things into her trunk before shrinking it and sticking it into her pocket. She joined Narcissa in the sitting room, finding that Draco and Lauren had also arrived and were sitting down, relaxing.

The woman motioned Estella over to the Floo and asked, "Are you ready?"

Estella nodded, then stepped forward and hugged Narcissa tightly around the waist. "You're the best," she whispered, hiding her face in the woman's robe for a moment. "Thanks for having me over."

"Thank _you_ ," Narcissa said softly, her hand on the girl's back as she embraced her slightly. "I've enjoyed our time together, and I hope to see you again some time, Estella."

"You do know not to tell anyone that you've been here?" Draco said to her sarcastically.

Estella pulled away from Narcissa after murmuring a reply and whirled to face Draco, her hair turning red as it flew out around her. "Remember, Draco, that Ginny Weasley and Estella are the same person. We can both make your life miserable. Quit speaking to me like that, or you won't enjoy what happens."

Draco opened his mouth to reply, but his mother motioned him not to speak. Narcissa took down the Floo powder and offered it toward Estella. "Malfoy Manor is not normally connected to the Floo Network, and this connection will close as soon as you've gone through. You're to go straight through to your destination."

Ginny nodded, then took a deep breath and grabbed a pinch of Floo powder from Narcissa before stepping into the fireplace and turning back toward the room. Seeing that Lucius Malfoy had just entered the room, she smirked and called, "The Burrow!" and was whisked away from Lauren and the Malfoys.

The red-haired girl stumbled out of the Floo into the kitchen of the Weasley home, where there was almost complete silence. "Fred?" she called into the silence, walking through the kitchen into the living room. "George? Percy? Is there anyone here? Dad? Mum? _Ron_?"

There was no answer, but as she began to climb the stairs, she heard noises coming from one of her brothers' rooms. She walked over and knocked on the door of Percy's room sharply.

"What is it?" he called in annoyance.

"Percy?" she called back, her heart sinking. "Where is everyone?"

A crash sounded inside the room and a moment later, the door opened, Percy engulfing her in a hug. "Welcome back," he said, squeezing her tightly. "How was it? Mum was furious when she found out you were gone. Dad didn't tell any of us that you were going away for a few days. He's at work, and Mum took Ron and the twins shopping. Today's my day off, but I've got papers to write and other things to do. You can stay in here with me for a while, if you want to."

Ginny walked into the room, then frowned at Percy's desk chair, which was tipped over. "Did you knock that over?"

"Oh," Percy grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. I was trying to get to the door." He set the chair up and said, "I'd like to hear all about your adventures, or at least as much as you can tell me, but I've really got to get this paragraph finished because this paper is due tomorrow. You don't mind, do you?"

"I can wait," Ginny said, curling up on top of Percy's bed. "Ooh, this is so much harder than the one I've been sleeping in. It's so nice not to sink down into the bed." Percy didn't reply, and Ginny unmade his bed, pulling the blanket up over herself and relaxing in the safety of her own home. "It's good to be back," she sighed, and fell asleep there, listening to Percy's quill write back and forth across the parchment.

A little while later, Percy woke Ginny softly and said, "It's time for lunch, Gin. And no one knows that you're home except me, so be prepared. The news came that you would be arriving today just after everyone left this morning, so none of them heard it."

Ginny yawned and stretched, sighing to think of facing the rest of her family, but she sat up and slid out of the bed. Percy flicked his wand at the bed, which remade itself, and led Ginny out of his room and down the stairs after all the others.

"Ginny!" Fred and George chorused together upon spotting their sister. "When did you get here? And how?"

"I got here while you were gone," Ginny answered. "And I came back by Floo."

"They gave no warning!" sputtered Molly.

Percy glanced at his mother. "The note came just after you left, Mum. She was supposed to come home earlier today, but there was a little delay. She arrived a little while ago."

Ron scowled at the red-haired girl. "You didn't even have to help clean," he said grumpily. "Bill and Charlie are arriving in two days!"

George looked over his sandwich at Ginny suspiciously. "I think she did that on purpose, Fred," he commented.

"Yeah, so do I, George," Fred answered. "We should do something about that."

"No!" Molly said sharply. "Absolutely not! I told you no more Wheezes!" The twins glared at her and continued to eat their lunch without another word as their mother went off on a rant. Percy looked on disapprovingly, and Ginny rolled her eyes at them all, sitting down to eat her lunch.

"Ginny should have to do something," Ron complained. "She can't just go on vacation and do nothing!"

Molly looked between Ron and Ginny. "She'll have to prepare her room to have Hermione stay over," the red-haired woman said decisively. "She'll do her part, Ron. I'll see to it that you all do."

Ginny nearly choked on her sandwich, reminded that she'd have to share a room with Hermione Granger when the girl arrived. "When is she arriving?" Ginny asked when she could speak. "What are the plans so far?"

"Four days from today," Percy told her. "The girl will be here. Dad will be going to pick up Harry a few days after that. We haven't received a reply from Harry, but we're going anyway."

"Oh," Ginny bit her lip. "I guess I'd better clean my room, then, hadn't I?"

"Yes, and in the next two days, before your brothers arrive," Molly told her firmly. "That is, if you want time with them before Harry and Hermione arrive. And make sure you clean _thoroughly_ , Ginny."

She sighed and nodded, leaving the room after she'd finished her sandwich. She was not going to clean too much today, for she wanted to settle into her own room _herself_ and recover from her adventures outside the Burrow. Ginny walked into her room and found it clean, just the way she'd left it when she'd headed to the office with her dad. Taking her trunk out of her pocket, she enlarged it, then began unpacking her things and putting them away.

After Ginny was finished, she sighed a little and put on her shoes to go back outside and relax. To her annoyance, when she reached the orchard, she found that Ron and the twins were practising Quidditch, no doubt in preparation for Harry's arrival. She walked away from them, away from the Weasley yard to sit alone in the grass, sighing.

The girl figured out how she wanted Hermione to stay in her room, trying to remember how big Hermione's trunk was and what it looked like. _Hostess_ , Estella thought to herself in annoyance. _I have to play hostess to Hermione Granger because of Ron. And Harry. And I'll have to pretend even harder that I'm not myself._

She lay flat on her back in the grass and scowled at the clouds. "Why is it getting so much harder?" she complained out loud.

"Harder to what?" someone asked, and Ginny looked over to see Tom sitting nearby on the grass.

"Tom!" she breathed, then scrambled over to sit next to him, his arm slipping around her.

"You haven't talked to me in ages," he accused her half jokingly as he gave her a small squeeze. "Did you forget me?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, I just—so much has happened that I haven't had time for a decent talk with you."

Tom nodded in understanding. "You've got your father to talk to, and Narcissa as a friend—I wasn't listening in the whole time you were at Malfoy Manor. There are very specific, terrible curse wards on their Manor, and I couldn't find out how to get around them for very long. I think my cousin did some of those wards, but the magical signatures are very confusing."

"But Malfoy Manor has been standing for ages!" Ginny protested. "Why would your cousin's wards make a difference—" she remembered the way Lucius, Payton, and Marshall had looked at her and bit her lip. "Everyone stared at me, Tom. Do you really believe that your cousin is returning soon?"

"Yes," Tom answered decisively. "And as time goes by, I become more and more certain of it. I think he must have added a layer of wards on top of what the Malfoy ancestors have done through the generations. Not that I've stalked the House of Malfoy that closely. They never really interested me that much, although Lucius was something of interest to my cousin."

"Ha!" Ginny sniggered. "A rock is better than Lucius Malfoy, and more interesting!"

Tom laughed. "So you'd never want to be his daughter-in-law?"

Ginny punched him, only half playfully. "Never! Tom! I'd rather have Meris! He's much better than Draco."

The dark-haired teen laughed. "Speaking of Meris, Ginny, you never wrote back to Meris, or the Lestrange twins, or any of your cousins except for the Charleston girls, whom you just saw for one day."

"Do you think they knew that I was going on vacation in the Mediterranean?" Ginny asked Tom. "They seemed a little too excited to see me, and I think they might have been a little jealous, at least. But they were too calm, especially Samantha."

"Well," Tom answered, "it might have been that they knew you were going to a different cousin's house, but knew they couldn't tell you. Who knows, with them."

"I guess I should plan on writing the Lestranges soon," Ginny mused, then punched Tom again when he smirked. "Stop it! You're as bad as Fred and George!"

Tom pretended to be offended, then chuckled and pushed her fists away. "Parkington," he said firmly, "you should know better than to Muggle punch people. You just came from the purest of the pureblood homes."

Ginny sniffed and turned away from him. "I don't believe you," she told him. "And I don't really like Malfoy Manor. Besides, what would I do besides pretend to punch you? Curse you? Hex you? Tell my serpents you are _hisssusss_?"

"Yesss!" hissed the bitemates excitedly, and Tom raised an eyebrow.

"They seem eager to _sissshausss_ me," he mused. "Did you starve them, little Serpent Keeper?"

"No," she said, rolling her eyes. "But I do need to feed them again. And write a letter. And clean my room and arrange it for Hermione's arrival."

Tom nodded seriously. "Hide all your Dark artifacts," he told her.

She snorted with laughter. "Surely," she said.

"Especially that picture on the lid of your trunk," Tom warned her. "If she sees that while you're packing to go to Hogwarts, she's bound to ask questions. Granger probably knows all the Slytherins, or at least most of them, by name."

"But not well enough!" Ginny protested. "I do love that picture, even though the Lestranges and I are all asleep." She giggled in amusement. "We really did look stoned. Do you think the twins showed their 'little' brother that picture?"

Tom was about to answer when Ginny interrupted. "Tom, do you think I could meet my little brothers? I wish—I want them to know that they have me, even if they don't have Mum and Dad."

Her friend sighed quietly. "You will meet them eventually, at Hogwarts, Ginny, but I doubt you could find them at their orphanage. Unless your father told you which one they are living in. They are quite a few Wizarding orphanages in London, and some of them are very spread out, even for someone apparating."

"Oh." Ginny snuggled into Tom's side for a moment, then sat up as Tom began to speak.

"You might be able to convince your father to take you to the orphanage when you visit him in the Chamber at school," Tom told her. "Do you have any idea how annoying it is to have two runaway Death Eaters living in your home without permission?"

"I gave them permission," Ginny said, confused. "Although I thought Dad already had access to it. If the Parkington family is supposed to be in charge of the Chamber, how are you able to change it?"

"I don't," Tom admitted. "It's actually your magic that helped us repair the Chamber, and to make sure that it was warded against half-bloods."

Ginny looked at him carefully. "You never told me," she said softly. "Tom, why don't you tell me these things? You're using me!"

Tom frowned, looking away from her again. "I could not make you do anything to the Chamber of Secrets that you did not want to do, Estella," he said formally. "I did tell you, and so did the stone basilisk sentries, that you are the Keeper of the Chamber of Secrets, in accordance with the legacy Salazar Slytherin gave to your father's bloodline." Tom paused to let his first words sink in, then continued, "At first, even I did not know that it was because you were a Parkington that you were so compatible with the magics of the Chamber of Secrets. Estella, there really is a lot you need to talk to your father and mother about, concerning your bloodlines and your special abilities."

"I don't know how to talk to my mother," Ginny said weakly. "I'm even afraid to return to the Chamber because of her. Tom, she Cursed me! She Cursed me twice, and I'm her _own daughter_!"

"Yes," Tom said quietly. "And Narcissa helped heal you from those Curses, didn't she? I thought so. She is not the best Healer, but her work is good. Andromeda was better. Pity."

"Dora's Patronus!" moaned Ginny, covering her face with her hands. "I have the crazy urge to send her a Howler in the middle of the night scolding her about that. I should do it, too. She got me Cursed, and I can't even tell her about it even though she probably already knows that I've been (and am) in contact with my real parents!"

Tom chuckled. "You might be able to find out her schedule, but I'd wait until your next awkward run-in with her," he said. "You sound more fierce in person. Otherwise, she might not take you seriously." He chuckled again. "Siriusly."

Ginny rolled her eyes at Tom's humour, then jumped when she heard someone coming. Tom was gone in an instant, and she stood up to see Mr. Weasley walking toward her. "Dad!" she called happily, hurrying toward him and greeting him with a hug. "Welcome home!"

Arthur smiled as he embraced his daughter. "Welcome back," he answered. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yes!" she said, smiling and looking up into his face. "Thank you for allowing me to go. I think it's the last time I'll ever be able to see them outside Hogwarts for a while."

"You do?" Arthur said softly, looking down at her. "Why?"

"Um—" Ginny bit her lip. "All my friends seem to think there are Dark times ahead, and we're on the opposite side from them."

"But you prefer these friends?" Arthur asked his daughter, slipping his arm around her as they walked back toward the house.

Ginny sighed and nodded. "I don't get along with anyone that Mum would approve of, really," she told him. "I don't have any really good friends my age, not even the Charleston girls. We are so much different than I ever thought we were, and we might even end up becoming enemies."

Arthur stopped her just inside the outer wards of the Burrow. "Why do you think so?"

"I don't want the same things they do," she told him, looking up into his older, lined face. "They're heading in a different direction than I want to go, and it's probably not going to end well for us. I do have other friends, but they're not close to me."

"Well, perhaps you can find new friends this year," Arthur consoled her. "Or, make other friends among the acquaintances you already have. One good friend is better than many unfamiliar acquaintances."

"I'll try," Ginny nodded. "But first, I've got to play hostess to Hermione."

He smiled at his daughter. "Will that be hard?"

Ginny shrugged, then shook her head. "I'll just need you to double my bed so that there's two in the room. I'm not sharing that. But I've got plans to rearrange my room so that Hermione can sleep comfortably in the room. I imagine she won't need the room for much other than that, and perhaps the mirror."

The two continued toward the house, and were greeted by Ron hollering for them to hurry up, and that it was supper time. "How long have you been out here?" Arthur asked as they passed the inner ward and walked straight toward the door. "Molly said she hasn't seen you since lunch."

"I made myself scarce," Ginny shrugged. "I cleaned my room and unpacked my trunk before coming out here. I tried the orchard, but the boys were playing Quidditch, so I just walked out here. I haven't been out very long, I don't think."

"You were past the outer wards," he mused. "Be careful going all the way out there, Ginny dear."

"Okay, I will," Ginny promised, then joined her family at the table after washing up.

The girl was annoyed to hear Molly scolding her dad about letting her go to her friends' house when Ginny's friends were obviously such a bad influence on her. She kept her mouth shut, though, and Molly soon merely took to muttering under her breath. Estella was quite aware that while most of her cousins were not a 'light' influence, they could hardly be considered bad. Even Narcissa had taught her to be a proper hostess. Estella smirked, eating her supper quietly. What would Molly say if she knew?


	10. Chapter 10

Two nights later, she woke up in the pitch black of night and tossed and turned, trying to go back to sleep. Finally, she decided to try to curl up on the couch in the living room to see if that would help her sleep. She crept out of bed, out of her room, and downstairs, trying to make the stairs creak as little as possible.

It wasn't until she was preparing to lie down with her blanket that she heard voices coming from the kitchen. Once again, without thinking, Ginny drew her wand and walked into the kitchen. She found a hooded figure in dark robes standing on the other side of the kitchen table and brandished her wand at him. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" she hissed in a low voice.

"Ginny?" came a familiar voice. "Ginny, it's just me, Bill."

"And me, Charlie," came another familiar voice as a second figure stepped out of the Floo. "So much for surprising you, Sis. Not much sneaks past you at our house. Congratulations on your vacation, though."

"Show your faces," Ginny ordered them, still holding her wand on them. They reached up and pulled their hoods back, both raising an eyebrow at her.

"That paranoid?" Charlie chuckled in amusement. "You do know you're getting the captain of paranoia for a Defense teacher this year, don't you?"

Ginny nodded, remembering that Draco had been complaining about it before he'd been told to quit making a scene at the table. She also remembered telling him that there was nothing that he could do about it and to stop whining. "I'm not exactly looking forward to it, but I'm hoping it won't be too terrible."

Bill sniggered, motioning Ginny and Charlie toward the living room. "Tonks said that MadEye Moody always stopped one spell short of killing her, and one more than letting her go un-cursed. Good luck."

Ginny smiled a little at the mention of Tonks. "I wish I could see her again, but I think my friends would kill me, and I wouldn't have to worry about Mad Eye."

"But then they would," Charlie laughed softly, slipping his arm around her as the three sat down on the couch. "You shouldn't worry about what other people think, Ginny."

"Even if they Curse me for it?" Ginny asked him, looking up into his eyes.

"No one should be doing that," Bill said with a frown. "It's no one's business what you think, or who your friends are."

"And you'll be cursed, probably, whatever side you take," Charlie answered, shrugging. "I guess it's whether you wanted to be cursed Darkly or with an Aurors-only spell."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'd leave the Dark and the Aurors to themselves," she said. "I have no interest in either. I'm very wary of both right now."

Bill chuckled. "Even though Aurors keep us safe?"

"From nasty Dark wizards who are in hiding, waiting for the Dark Lord to return?" Estella asked before shaking her head in disbelief. "Our world is never safe, even with Aurors, Bill. And I've got nothing against Dora, really, except that I wish she wasn't on the team that's supposed to be finding my real parents."

"Ooh," Charlie said, his eyes lighting up. "That should be good for some fireworks."

"If the Aurors ever catch up," Ginny rolled her eyes. Both older boys protested at this, and Ginny yawned. "I couldn't sleep, so I was going to come out here and try to sleep on the couch. I heard you in the kitchen and went to see what was happening."

"Are the beds moved so we can go on to bed?" Charlie asked her. "We are staying in Fred and George's room, aren't we? The twins are rooming with Ron right now?"

Ginny nodded, glancing between her brothers. "The twins have not moved into Ron's room yet, but their beds are moved. We expected you to come later today, not early in the dark of the morning, and Fred and George wanted to stay away from Ron as long as possible. We've found out that they're making cool joke items during the summer, and Mum's furious."

Charlie grinned. "Tonks told me. She told me what she did to Fred in our Common Room, and—Merlin's beard—he doesn't even know who that was! Did you hear what Tonks did to her mother? And what her mother did to her?"

"The Rodent Rock," Ginny supplied. "She bought one from Fred in the Common Room, and gave it to her mother later. Turned her into a black rat—"

"A black rat!" Bill snorted with laughter. "That sounds about right for her mum."

"Masterfully done," Charlie agreed. "I've got to make sure to congratulate Fred and George over that. But Tonks' mum wasn't happy. She cursed her daughter and wouldn't let anyone help her."

"She was all right. She had a shift at the Office that day too, and she made it all right," Ginny said. "She sent me a Patronus to tell me about it and made my cousins mad at me. And then I got Cursed for real because they think I'm encouraging Dora to contact me."

" _Tonks_ ," Charlie emphasized pointedly, raising an eyebrow. "Honestly, if you don't know not to call her by her first name, then you haven't been around her very much at all, and certainly not enough to warrant an Unforgivable. Am I correct?"

Ginny nodded. "Sometimes I wish they'd leave me alone, but they are my family, I guess," she said.

Bill shrugged. "If you didn't care too much, you could turn them in for it."

"The Aurors couldn't catch them," Ginny giggled mysteriously, and her bitemates also got the joke, hissing in amusement. "And I wouldn't turn in my own family unless they decided that I was a liability and had to be destroyed, or something like that."

"Let's move Fred and George," Charlie suggested, grinning. "They'll be so surprised they won't know what to do. C'mon, Bill!" He got up, and his older brother followed, motioning to Ginny to come with them.

The two oldest Weasley boys walked up the stairs quietly, opening the door to Fred and George's room, grinning. "Sleeping Web," Bill whispered warningly, and Charlie moved to allow his brother to do it. "Good," Bill said with a smothered laugh. "Very good. Hey, Gin, could you go put a Sleeping Ward on Ron so he doesn't wake up when we come in?"

Ginny smirked and agreed before hurrying off toward Ron's room, pushing the door open slowly as she drew her wand and approached the bed. She set up the Sleeping Ward to keep Ron asleep just as Bill and Charlie walked into the room, each levitating one of their twin brothers. Ginny motioned her older brothers to the right beds, leaving the one beside Ron's free. She grinned and slipped over to Fred and George, tucking their blankets back around them.

"Ananke," she hissed to her bitemates. "Sadura. Will you ssstay here and watch them for Missstress? You needn't be awake the whole time, for you will feel and hear them wake up. They are never quiet."

"The onesss with the double magic are never quiet," the bitemates agreed, and the two Ginny had named slithered forward to take their watch.

"Don't hurt them," Ginny cautioned her bitemates. "Just surprise them."

"Thanks, Ginny," the boys told her when they'd left the room and closed the door on their brothers. "We never said hi to you, or anything, really. So, hi, Ginny." Both boys hugged her, and she squeezed them tightly. "Do you think you'll be able to sleep now?" Bill asked.

Ginny smiled up at him. "I'm sure I can. Good night, boys. Don't forget to move your trunks and things so that it's a full surprise for everyone."

Charlie shook his head. "How do you think so well in the early morning? I can't do that."

She grinned. "You too far removed from school to remember how to get up early, Charlie? I'm not staying up. I'm going back to sleep. Right now, in fact. Good night." Ginny walked off to her room, thrilled that her brothers had arrived, and would be staying with them for a long while before school began again.

* * *

The very next morning, Molly shouted so loudly when she found that her oldest sons were home that she woke Fred, George, and Ron, who all sat up and yelled at the sight of each other.

"You git!" Fred said to Ron.

"What?" he protested, staring at the twins. "What are you doing—?"

"Get out of our room!" George told him, pointing to the door.

"It's _my_ room!" Ron retorted hotly. "Look! I've got my posters on the wall, and there are four beds in here, when there should only be two in yours. You've got the wrong room yourself!"

The door burst open and Bill and Charlie burst into the room, startling their three younger, squabbling siblings. "Hello!" they chorused together, greeting the other three boys. "Late April Fool's!"

Ginny watched the three tackle their older brothers excitedly, starting a wrestling match between the five of them. "Come on, Gin!" called Charlie before George hit him directly in the face with a pillow. "Hey!"

She grinned and dived into the fray, attacking Fred, who was currently trying to hold Bill down. Someone shouted and jumped on her back, making her shout, "Bitematesss! Leave me!" Her basilisks slithered off of her and gathered in sunny places, watching for her in the fight.

The same person who had jumped on her back shouted in horror, seeing the serpents, and Ginny sniggered, throwing Ron off of her and hitting him in the chest with the nearest pillow.

"Get her!" shouted Fred, and the twins pounced on Ginny, throwing her down on her back and tickling her.

"No magic!" shouted George in alarm when Ginny's magic crackled loudly over the sound of her giggling.

"Oops," she giggled without apology. "Was that a rule, George?"

Ron scooted away from the rest of the fight, and Bill and Charlie pulled Fred and George away from her. "Is your magic a little unstable, Ginny?" Bill asked her in concern. "You should have better control, shouldn't you?"

Ginny grinned, grabbing another pillow and threatening Fred with it. "I do have control," she answered. "I didn't hurt him at all. It's just that my magic is so much more...ready now. Ready for use." She chuckled, then rolled away from Charlie's hands. "It just crackled because it doesn't like me being attacked. I can keep it under control. It's fine."

The door burst open and Molly stood in the doorway. "What's going on in here?" she demanded, then gasped. "Bill! Charlie!"

The older boys disentangled themselves from their twin brothers and hugged their mother, one at a time, as Ginny gathered her bitemates and scooted out of the room, unseen.

* * *

Later that afternoon, there came a knock on the door, and Molly said, "That'll be Hermione, Ginny. Please answer it and let her in."

Ginny gaped at Molly Weasley. "She wasn't supposed to come for another two days!" she said in horror.

"We decided that it would be better for Hermione to arrive early, and only have to get Harry here," Ron answered. "Go on, Ginny."

"Why me?" she protested. "Why can't you? She's your friend!"

"Ginevra."

Ginny scowled at the red-haired woman, then stepped toward the door, smoothing her robe and preparing herself. She opened the door and said, "Hi, Hermione. Welcome to the Burrow, home of the Weasleys." She swung the door wide open and motioned Hermione to come in, frowning a little at the cat in Hermione's arms. The bitemates were not favourable to that at all.

The brown-haired girl walked into the house, where she was greeted by nearly all the other Weasleys. "Hello," Hermione said a little bashfully. "I was hoping I'd found the right place. The bus didn't come all the way out here—"

"But you got here," Ginny shrugged. "Why don't you come with me and I'll show you where you'll be staying. You'll be rooming with me while you're here."

"Oh," said Hermione, a little surprised. "Okay." She followed Ginny on up the creaking stairs.

"That's your bed," Ginny pointed out as they entered her room. "You have storage space for your things—and does Crookshanks need a box?"

"No, he's an outdoor cat, really," Hermione answered. "Thanks, Ginny. You're so nice to allow me to share your room."

Ginny smiled genuinely. "I'm not bad off, actually. Ron's got to share a room with Fred, George, and Harry because Bill and Charlie are in the twins' room."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Your older brothers are here too?"

The red-haired girl nodded. "Bill's come in from Egypt, and Charlie's come in from Romania. They'll be attending the World Cup with us, of course."

"And all of us will be in the Top Box," Hermione said excitedly. "I've been reading about the World Cup—"

The brown-haired girl began to go on about the practices and customs of the World Cup and everything involved in it, but Ginny wasn't listening. "Top Box?" she asked Hermione. "Are you sure? Dad didn't say anything to me about that."

Hermione looked a bit worried for a moment, then set Crookshanks down on her bed and turned to the trunk that Ginny had dragged into the room. "Um, I'm sure Ron's letter said 'Top Box,'" she said in concern. "What if it wasn't, after all I told Mum and Dad?!"

Ginny didn't answer, and Hermione opened her trunk, pulling out a piece of paper that was attached to the lid. "Um," Hermione said intelligently, scanning the letter quickly, "it does say 'Top Box.' See? Right there." She held out the letter to Ginny and pointed at the words. "I hope Ron was right."

"I don't know," Ginny shrugged. "If he is, I'm shocked, but I was away at a friend's house for almost two weeks, so I'm not sure what happened here while I was gone. I didn't stay in contact."

"Oh," said Hermione again, and smiled.

Ginny sat down on her bed and told the other girl, "You can unpack if you want to, but we're going to be heading out in about three or four days to our campsite. We'll be leaving the morning after Harry arrives."

Hermione nodded, then asked, "So what will we be doing this evening?"

"Well," Ginny said slowly, "once Dad gets home, we'll be eating supper and discussing the way to get Harry here. Dad and Ron already sent Harry's Muggles a letter explaining what's going to happen. The letter asked permission to take Harry for the rest of the summer, but Dad's going to go get Harry anyway, and Ron will probably go with him."

"Of course," giggled Hermione at the thought. "But Ginny, they're Harry's aunt and uncle—"

"They're his Muggles," Ginny insisted. "They refuse to believe in us, or entertain us, and they don't like Harry at all—Ron says so—and so the only connection from us to them is Harry: hence the title 'Harry's Muggles.'"

The other girl shrugged, then began to unpack a few essentials she would need each day, keeping most of her things in the trunk. "I'm so excited to see the World Cup," she began again. "I've never seen a professional Quidditch game."

Ginny got up, then agreed. "I've seen one, but only through someone's memory," she answered. "After the game was already finished. And it was lame compared to what's going to be happening in the World Cup. Ron will probably go on and on about it. Now let's go downstairs, if you've unpacked everything you'll need for tonight, or tomorrow morning. We'll be in the sitting room for a little while as we wait for our dad."

Hermione followed her from the room, going downstairs, and to Ginny's immense relief, Ron distracted their guest by volunteering to give her a tour of the house so that she would know where everything was. Glad to see the two of them off, Ginny slipped out to her dad's workshop and sat alone for a few minutes before one of her bitemates warned her that Ron and Hermione were headed out to the workshop.

Quickly, Ginny got up from where she'd been sitting and walked outside, sighing. A few moments later, she arrived in the orchard, where Bill and Charlie were dueling in between the trees. She watched them move, dueling fiercely sometimes, and stalking each other. The two boys finally met each other in a more open place and dueled until there was a loud bang and smoke covered the two, making it impossible for Ginny to see what was happening.

A few minutes later, the smoke cleared enough for her to see Bill and Charlie laughing, walking toward her through the orchard. They greeted her laughingly, both slipping an arm around her and walking back toward the house. As they were nearing the back door, they heard an apparition and glanced back to see that their father had just arrived home.

"Bill! Charlie!" Arthur said, and smiled, coming forward to embrace his oldest sons. "How's life been for you?"

"Well," they began together, than looked at each other and laughed. "I've been doing fine," Bill answered. "Been thinking about coming back to Britain, but don't tell Mum. She'll flip."

"I got burnt," Charlie chuckled, showing the burn on his hand and wrist. "Last week. Young dragon didn't take too kindly to me. It was rather new and nervous. Not a good combination."

Arthur smiled. "Other than that, you've been all right? You did get the burn taken care of, didn't you?"

Charlie nodded and replied, "Of course. But Mum hasn't seen it, or she'd want to do something about it."

"Glamour Charm," Ginny suggested. "Done properly, she'd never know the difference."

"Of course," Bill nodded, then winked at his sister. "You should do the honors. That is, if Dad doesn't mind."

"I've only seen it done," Ginny shrugged without looking at her dad, who had made a nervous little sound. "I've never done it myself. It's better that someone else does it."

Bill grinned and performed the charm, waving his wand over his brother's hand. "Nice," he mused, admiring his own handiwork.

Arthur motioned the boys toward the house, slipping his left arm around Ginny. "Dinner, boys," he said, and the two took off toward the house, warning the household that their father was home.

Ron and Hermione were already seated at the table, and the older Weasley boys were greeting the girl and introducing themselves. Arthur walked into the room behind them and said, "Hermione! Welcome!"

She turned a little pink and said thank you quietly. Ginny sat down between Bill and Percy as their father began to ask Hermione all sorts of questions about her life in the Muggle world. Molly finally distracted Arthur and changed the topic to Harry Potter. Most of the others leaned in and began to listen eagerly to how they were going to get Harry to the Burrow.

Ginny was silent as she listened, raising an eyebrow as she heard the plans to connect Harry's Muggles' house to the Floo Network. "Will that work?" she asked. "Won't it be a little startling for them to have Wizards—well, any people, actually—coming out of their fireplace?"

"Yes," Hermione answered, wrinkling her brow, "but Harry will probably be able to explain at least a little to them before we arrive."

"He won't know how we're going to arrive," George said.

"No," added Fred. "And the Muggles won't be thinking of the fireplace at all."

Bill and Charlie shared glances, and Molly said, "Oh, it will be fine. Harry's relatives have had lots of experiences with him already, I would imagine."

Ginny just rolled her eyes at her family and continued to eat. Whatever happened at the Muggles' house, she was going to make Fred and George, or even her father tell her everything.


	11. Chapter 11

The morning that Harry was to arrive, Ginny woke up to find Hermione already up. Ginny frowned at the perfectly made bed, then got up and used her wand to make her bed, smirking at the two beds. Dressing for the day, she hurried down the stairs into the kitchen to find Bill and Charlie sitting at the table. "Is he here?" she asked, and Hermione walked into the room just in time to hear her speak.

"Not yet," Hermione answered. "Ron is attempting to drag Fred and George out of their beds in order to get to Harry faster." She shook her head at the thought. "I don't think they'll listen to him."

"Oh well," Ginny said with a grin. "I guess if you don't know by now that the only person Fred and George are really afraid of is their mother. She kind of runs everything in our house."

"Yeah," Bill chuckled, "but Ginny isn't afraid of anyone."

"Well, at least not any of you," Ginny answered, then walked to the doorway. "I'll get the twins up. I doubt Ron can do it."

Ginny hurried up the stairs and burst into Ron's room, making Ron jump backwards off the bed. "Hello!" she shouted, bounding up onto the bed and bouncing between Fred and George, who had their pillows over there heads. "If you aren't sitting up in two minutes, your pillows are going up in flames."

Fred muttered something that sounded like a cuss word, and Ginny pounced on his back, grinning impishly. "I heard that," she said. "How about you get up so that you, George, and Dad can go get Harry? Don't you want him here? Tomorrow we leave for our campsite. And guess what? You've got one minute left until your pillow goes up in flames!"

George rolled over and smack Ginny across the back with his pillow. "Go away, Ginny. Seriously. Ron's bad enough, but you—"

"Ginny!" Fred groaned, sitting up and pushing her off of himself. "Go bother someone else!"

"Everyone else is up," Ginny answered firmly. "You know I love you, Fred, but would you rather have Mum wake you up? You've got thirty seconds."

Fred shoved her off the bed onto the floor and grabbed his wand off the nightstand. "Get out!" he told her crossly. "I'm not asking again!"

Ginny shrugged and got up, walking out of the room without speaking to Ron or George. She met Hermione outside the room and saw that her eyes were wide with surprise. Hermione bit her lip and followed the red-haired girl down the stairs. "Do you always do that to your brothers?" she asked hesitantly.

"No," Ginny answered. "Usually they're nicer than that. But I guess threatening to set someone's pillow on fire wouldn't make anyone happy. Sometimes I choose getting things done over being nice about it." She sighed. "Sometimes I don't think. It comes with being a Weasley, and a Gryffindor."

"Oh, but you don't do that often," Hermione tried to sooth her. "I've watched you a little bit, and I've almost never seen you do something absolutely stupid."

"Well, thanks," Ginny said awkwardly as her father joined them, coming down the hall. "Hi, Dad," she greeted him. "I think the twins are up now. Ron is already completely ready for the day, and I think the twins will be ready soon. They're kind of mad at me, and they have every right to be, so don't mind them, whatever they say about me for the rest of the day."

Arthur shook his head at her. "I don't even want to know what you did." He raised his voice and called through the door, "Boys, I'll be down in the kitchen when you're ready to leave!"

Ron burst out of the bedroom, and Ginny hurried off up the stairs before anyone could ask her more questions. She went to her room and sat down on her bed. "Bitematesss," she hissed softly, "there isss another Parssselmouth coming to our nessst, but he isss not friendly to my other family. Not friendly to the other holder of our other bitematesss. Do not tell him about my sssire, or about any of my real family. He does not know about them. You may ssspeak to him, but do not tell him anything I have done asss myssself."

"Yesss, Missstress," they answered together.

"Thanks," Ginny sighed in relief, looking out her bedroom window and sighing. "I'll be glad when we are on our way to the campsite and can ssspeak freely. I think I'm going to take all of you with me, sssince it's just going to be me and Hermione—ooh. She doesn't know that I have ssseventeen bitematesss."

The basilisks hissed in amusement, and Ginny turned from her window. "We can only wait for them to return now."

Ginny waited in her room for a little while, and Hermione joined her. "They're going now," Hermione told her.

"Okay," Ginny nodded. "We can go down when we hear them returning."

"All right." Hermione sat down on her bed, listening intently for sounds from downstairs.

"You could wait in the living room if you really wanted to be able to hear," she informed the brown-haired girl. "If they're gone now, it shouldn't take them long to collect Harry and come back."

A few minutes later, they heard a couple incredulous shouts from the kitchen, and heard Arthur Weasley's slightly outraged tone before it quieted once more. Hermione ran for the kitchen, and Ginny followed, the two peeking into the room at the doorway. Arthur appeared to be scolding Fred and George for something while Bill, Charlie, Ron, and Harry looked on.

Ginny heard footsteps from behind her and Hermione just as Arthur said, "What if I told your mother—?"

Molly breezed into the room and said, "Tell me what?" Everyone looked around at each other uncomfortably, and Molly asked again, more loudly, "Tell me what?"

The two girls slipped into the room as Arthur muttered some answer and Molly frowned at her twin sons. "If this has anything to do with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes—"

Hermione glanced at Ron, then said, "Ron, why don't you show Harry where he'll be sleeping?"

Ron looked at her blankly. "He knows, Hermione. He stayed there last—"

"We'll all go," Hermione said with a sigh, and Ron blinked, realizing what she was trying to do. Bill and Charlie led the way out of the room, and everyone followed after an apologetic look at Fred and George.

Harry looked at Ron. "What's Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?"

Ginny chuckled to herself, and Ron laughed outright. "It's this whole idea that Fred and George have come up with. Mum found a list of joke items and their prices—like fake wands and stuff—when she was cleaning their room before you arrived. I had no idea they'd done so much—"

"They've been making things in their room all summer," Ginny interjected. "There have been explosions and other sounds coming from their room, but we just thought they liked the noise! They've been making loads of things: they've got one that'll turn you into a monkey, and one that'll turn you into the rodent that your personality most closely resembles. They're brilliant; they really are, even if Mum isn't happy about their OWLs."

"Mum wants them to work for the Ministry, like Dad, and Percy," Charlie shrugged. "She tried to do that to me, too, but I got out of it."

Bill chuckled and walked away from them, Charlie joining him. The other four continued up to the next landing, where Percy greeted them with an annoyed expression, seeming to blame Harry for the minute amount of noise they were making. Ginny bit her lip at Ron's retort, then said quietly, "You could soundproof it, Perce."

Hermione looked interested, and Percy disappeared back into his room after silently pointing a finger at his little sister. "How would you do that?" Hermione asked Ginny. "Is there a specific spell you know?"

"Not really," Ginny answered evasively. "It's just a ward, actually, and there are many variations, depending on who you want to hear different things."

"Oh," said Hermione. "I don't think I've done that kind of ward yet at school."

"You can do pretty much anything with a ward once you set the boundaries," Ginny explained. "Once you have the borders set up, you quickly add your intent before you close the spell. So if you want a soundproof, opaque, and shielding ward, you just cause your magic to effect that in the ward."

Hermione wrinkled her brow slightly. "Sounds complicated," she said. "Have you done one of these?"

Ginny smiled. "I've done several. The Slytherins do them all the time: in their dorm rooms, in the library, sometimes even in class, in the hallways—sound bubbles are really cool, too. I know a book that can explain more about them to you if you'd like."

"Okay," Hermione agreed. "Where is it?"

"At Hogwarts," Ginny replied with a shrug. "I borrowed it from one of my friends. Actually, she recommended it to me, although there is a nasty section in the back of it about curse wards and all the terrible things you can do with those. I don't know if the Hogwarts library would have it or not. It's called Wards: Protection, Curses, and More."

"I'll have to look for it," Hermione determined as Ron let them into his room. "It sounds very useful."

Ginny smiled to herself and nodded. Ron frowned at his owl, which was fluttering up and down in its cage. "Shut up, Pig. Fred and George are in with us because Bill and Charlie have their room."

Harry jumped on those words immediately. "Ron, why do you call him _Pig_?"

"Because he's being stupid," Ginny rolled her eyes. "His real name's Pigwidgeon."

"Ginny named him, obviously," Ron said in annoyance. "She thinks it's cute. I tried to rename him, but he won't respond to anything else. Now he's just Pig." Ron went on to complain about how much Percy ranted and raved about his boss, Bartemius Crouch, Sr.

Ginny pretended to be ignoring Ron for the time being, until Ron asked, "So, Harry, have you heard from—"

She looked back and forth between the two, but the three older children exchanged looks and fell awkwardly silent. "Why don't we go downstairs and see if your mum needs our help," Hermione said. "It's sounds like they've stopped arguing."

When they all walked into the kitchen, they were set different duties by Molly, who was furiously storming around the kitchen, still steaming from the row she'd had with Fred and George. Ginny took a stack of plates and motioned Hermione to follow her outside as Harry and Ron continued to watch Mrs. Weasley bang pots and pans around.

Once outside, the two girls found Fred and George cheering for Bill and Charlie to duel with the tables they were supposed to be setting up. "Come on!" Fred said to Charlie. "Do it for the old times. Come on, Bill."

"Tables up!" George called, clapping his hands at his older brothers. "C'mon, Charlie!"

"All right," Charlie agreed, and Bill levitated his table, grinning mischievously.

The two fought with the tables, Fred and George cheering them on while Ginny laughed happily at the sight of her oldest brothers competing. Hermione bit her lip as she watched them, Harry and Ron joining them seconds later.

Bill and Charlie's tables crashed against each other, and seconds later, Bill's table hit Charlie's with a tremendous bang, and one of the table legs broke off. Another crash caught everyone's attention, and everyone looked up to see Percy glaring out of a second story window. "Would you keep it down!?"

"Sorry, Perce," Bill said grinning. "How are the cauldron bottoms coming along?"

"Very badly," the younger boy snapped before disappearing back into his room and slamming the window shut. The older Weasley boys laughed and lowered the tables to the grass, setting them up neatly and conjuring tablecloths.

A little while later that evening, Ginny was seated with the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione around the two long tables for dinner. She was sitting between her two oldest brothers at the table, opposite from Percy and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. She wondered at how strange it was to dine with the Malfoys one week and the entire Weasley clan, Harry, and Hermione the next week. It was certainly a change, but also a welcome relief. At least the adults around the Weasley table didn't look at her like she was a precursor of evil.

Ginny spoke up a moment later when Molly commented on Bill's fanged earring and his long hair, pulled back in a ponytail. "I like it," she said loyally, leaning slightly closer to her brother. "You're so old fashioned, Mum, and it's not even as long as Dumbledore's."

"Just a little trim," Molly coaxed, but Bill shook his head.

"I've been doing my own for a while, Mum," he said easily. "I've got it."

"It doesn't look like you have," Molly said decisively, eyeing him more closely.

Bill didn't reply, but just grinned slightly. "Don't bother about it. It's my life, Mum."

Ginny rather tuned out her mother's reply, watching the others talk and laugh as she snuggled closer to her oldest brother. The lights began to dim in the garden, and Ginny dozed off against her brother's shoulder, warm and content.

A little while later, she heard Bill call, "Hey, Charlie. This one's asleep. You want to carry her up to her room?"

She sat bolt upright, brushing Bill's arm away from her and jumping up from the table, darting away into the house before Charlie could reply. She hugged her father on the landing (she couldn't remember which one it had been), then entered her room.

Hermione was already in bed, her blanket pulled over herself. Ginny walked over to her bed, took off her shoes and outer robe, then threw herself into bed. "No, I'm not dressing for bed," she yawned. "I'll deal with myself tomorrow. Good night."

"Night," the other girl replied, and the two fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Ginny was awakened in the morning by her basilisks hissing uncomfortably, and looked up to see Molly Weasley leaning over Hermione, shaking her awake. "Thanksss," Ginny hissed to the bitemates softly, then sat up, yawning and stretching slightly.

Molly waited until Hermione had stirred before turning and smiling at Ginny. "Good, you're already awake. And you slept in your clothes. Make yourself presentable and come down to the kitchen for breakfast."

The red-haired girl walked across the room and began to look for her light green robe. She changed quickly, and noticed that Hermione was already in the bathroom, brushing her teeth and hair and getting ready for the day. Ginny sighed to herself and waited until Hermione was finished before going into the bathroom and washing her face, tying back her unruly red hair.

Molly came bustling back into the room seconds later and ordered the two of them to hurry up and get downstairs. They followed her downstairs, both rather sleepy-looking, and Hermione's hair looking even more like a bush than usual.

"Why are we up so early?" Ginny mumbled, sitting down at the table.

"We've got a bit of a walk," Arthur said, and began to explain the transportation methods to Harry, who was curious.

"George!" Molly said suddenly, her eyes narrowed. "What is that in your pocket?"

Ginny looked over at George, who immediately said, "Nothing!"

Molly glared at him. "Don't you lie to me!" Without missing a beat, she pointed her wand at George and said, " **Accio** _!_ "

"You were told to destroy them!" she shouted at the twins, who looked furious. She continued to use the Summoning Charm until she was certain she'd collected every single toffee off of her twin sons. Molly then threw away the toffees.

"We spent six months developing those!" Fred shouted angrily.

Their mother railed at them as the others looked at Fred and George sympathetically. Ginny bit her lip as Fred and George stormed out of the house, then said, "I've forgotten something!" She darted back up the stairs, but instead of going to her room, she approached Fred and George's room, where Bill and Charlie were still asleep.

Testing the door for wards, Ginny unlocked it with her wand and stepped inside silently. " **Accio Ton-Tongue Toffees** ," she said in a whisper. " **Accio Ton-Tongue Toffies!** "

A locked box flew to her from beneath one of the beds, and she bit her lip, setting it down and kneeling before it with her wand light over it. After several moments, she was able to put together the magic puzzle and open the box. Ginny smirked at the brightly coloured wrapped candies and stuffed some into her pockets, making sure that none of it stuck out.

Putting the box back, she extinguished the light and exited the room, hurrying back down the stairs and hugging her mother goodbye. "Have a good time," Molly told her. "And don't get into trouble!"

"I won't!" she answered. "Bye!" Ginny left the house, hurrying after the others in the dark of early morning.

"Stoatshead Hill," Mr. Weasley pointed out, and some of the others groaned.

None of them spoke as they climbed, and Ginny couldn't help being at least a little annoyed that Bill, Charlie, and Percy would miss climbing the hill merely because they were going to apparate. She determined that she would not be the last one to the top, and bounded ahead to climb with Fred and George. "I've got—something to—tell you," she breathed, and the twins didn't look at her.

"Don't want to talk," George said grumpily.

"Not even about this?" Ginny asked, pulling a toffee out of her pocket and jumping up the hill a little way. Both twins gaped at her and motioned her to hide it.

"How many have you got?" they demanded.

Ginny smiled. "Quite a few. I'll give them to you when—when we arrive."

When they got to the top of the hill, Arthur ordered them all to search for the portkey, but before they could search much, someone called to them. Ginny turned to see Cedric Diggory and his father standing on the other side of the hill, the older wizard holding an old moldy boot. She winced inwardly when she realized that they were all going to portkey together, and joined the others in walking toward the two Diggorys.

When Arthur introduced Harry and Hermione to Amos Diggory and Cedric, everyone said, "Hi," except Fred and George. They were still sore over losing last year's Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. To make things even more awkward, Amos brought up the very subject of the match, and all the Weasleys seemed very uncomfortable. Cedric attempted to smooth things over by explaining to his dad once again what had really happened, but his dad didn't seem to care about the explanation.

Finally, everyone gathered around the boot and caught a hold of it, standing shoulder to shoulder in order to all keep their grip. Ginny stood between Hermione and Cedric, feeling quite awkward, for he had looked at her very carefully when she'd said hello when they'd first arrived on the hilltop.

The portkey activated, and Ginny felt herself being tugged away from the hilltop, her bitemates hissing wordlessly in alarm. Unable to speak through the windstorm, she fell to her knees, almost at Cedric's feet, when they arrived. "Sssorry," she hissed to them.

The two tired and grumpy-looking wizards that greeted them pointed them toward their campsite, and the Weasleys and the Diggorys set off together. The Weasleys stopped after a bit of a walk to inquire at the first house, and the Diggorys went on. Fred and George seemed very glad for this.

Ginny sighed a bit to herself when her father had to have Harry help him with the Muggle currency, but the truth was, she didn't understand it either. She nearly laughed when the Obliviator showed up and did the Muggle in, but she managed to keep quiet and merely watch.

When they arrived where they were to pitch their tents, Harry and Hermione helped Mr. Weasley begin it, and the party took a tour of the tents before Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sent off to retrieve water from the tap. Ginny and the twins took seats around the fire pit and Ginny quickly gave the toffees to the twins while their father was distracted by playing with the Muggle matches.

Arthur still hadn't got the fire going when the trio returned, so Hermione took him aside and showed him how to use the matches. They sat down around the fire and waited for it to get hot enough to brew tea over. Arthur pointed out to Harry and Hermione the different Ministry wizards that he knew and worked with that were bustling around, trying to keep everyone safe and secret from Muggles.

Ginny knew or was aware of most people that her dad was pointing out, and distracted herself by helping Hermione add the eggs and sausage to the pan in the fire. A bit later, Bill, Charlie, and Percy walked out of the wood that their family was camping by and cheered to see breakfast nearly ready.

"Very good," Charlie said after tasting the food. "Whoever made this over the fire. It's good!"

"Hermione did," Ginny accused her happily.

"And you helped," Hermione answered her. "It was teamwork."

"Aha!" Arthur interrupted them, jumping to his feet and waving at an approaching wizard. "The man of the moment! Ludo!"

The rather middle-aged man joined them on the grass, sprawling out near the fire and beginning to ramble on excitedly about the coming Quidditch match. Ginny watched Percy greet him, and bit her lip, understanding that Percy wanted to make a good impression with everyone at the Ministry. She didn't think that it would count for very much if Percy impressed Ludo Bagman, for Mr. Bagman seemed to be more impressed by Fred and George's fake wand.

Minutes later, there was a faint crack and a very sharp-looking older wizard appeared next to them in the camp. Ludo patted the ground beside him. "Pull up a bit of grass, Barty," he invited.

"No thank you, Ludo," said the man, whom Ginny knew to be Bartemius Crouch, Sr.

Ginny had been shocked when Percy had come home and told her who his new boss was. She was now very aware that Percy loved how orderly Mr. Crouch did things, and how much her brother admired the man. Mr. Crouch was looking a bit frustrated as he talked to Ludo quickly, and was only a little surprised by Percy's offering him tea.

"Lots left to organize, isn't there?" Ludo said. "Eh?"

"We've agreed not to make the announcement until all the details—"

"Oh, details!" Ludo waved his hand dismissively. "It isn't as if the kids won't find out eventually. It is happening at Hogwarts—"

Mr. Crouch cut Ludo off sharply, telling him that they had to go sort out a sort of discrepancy with the Bulgarians. Ludo jumped to his feet and waved to them all. "See you later," he said. "You'll be up in the Top Box with me—I'm commentating!" The two disapparated.

"What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad?" Fred asked almost instantly. "What were they talking about?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Mr. Weasley said smiling, and most of his younger children rolled their eyes in exasperation.

Ginny had already put two and two together and realized that it was probably the same thing that Percy'd been trying to get his younger brothers and her to ask him about the whole summer. She knew she was right when Percy said, "It's classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it. Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it."

Fred almost smirked. "Shut up, Weatherby." This was how Mr. Crouch had addressed Percy earlier, and Ginny now knew that Percy had a new name for possibly the rest of his life.

After a little while, Ginny leaned over to Charlie and whispered something in his ear. Charlie nodded. "Hey, Dad," he said, "can Ginny and I go for a walk? And Bill, too, if he wants? Just to see what's out there, you know."

Arthur nodded, but frowned at his sons. "You are responsible for her, then. Make sure to take good care of her."

"We will," Bill promised, getting to his feet. "We'll be back before or at dusk." Charlie and Ginny got to their feet, walking out of the campsite together.

"We want something to represent Ireland, of course," Charlie said decisively, pointing to a cart with a lot of large green rosettes on it. "One each, I think?"

"Yeah," Bill grinned, walking up to the man with the cart. He came back and gave Ginny hers, making her smile and pin the rosette on her robe.

Ginny pinned Charlie's rosette to his robe, making him grin, and the three walked along one of the busiest corridors, admiring the different tents that were decked with different magic effects. "That peacock one," Ginny said, just as someone called her name. She turned to see Brianna, Samantha, and their mother in the front yard of a nearby tent. "Hello!" she called and waved to them, grinning even bigger when she saw that the two Sage families had two tents pitched side by side nearby. "Hi!"

The Charleston twins waved to her, and another girl came out of the same tent, waving as well. "Hi!" Cherea called.

"Hi, Cherry!" Ginny said, grinning as she felt the basilisks stir in excitement at seeing their Mistress's friends.

"You've got to come in here a moment!" Brianna said firmly, coming toward Ginny, and Samantha raised an eyebrow in alarm.

Before Bill and Charlie could say anything, the oldest Charleston girl had dragged their sister into the tent, Naridia Charleston following the four girls. Ginny stood in one of the ornate rooms of the tent, and Brianna said, "How was your vacation?"

Ginny began to answer, but Samantha cut in. "Remember your loyalties," she ordered her cousin curtly. "No matter what."

"Of course," Ginny sputtered, wondering what the twins were going on about. "Can I go now?"

"Nan, she doesn't understand," Naridia said quietly. "Let her go." She came and placed her cold hand on Ginny's shoulder. "We don't ever want a repeat of what happened on the dock." Ginny's blood ran cold, and Naridia squeezed her shoulder more tightly. "Do you understand, Estella?"

"Yes," Ginny whispered, her heart pounding. The moment the woman released her, she was out of the tent, joining Bill and Charlie back in the row. She grinned at them and said, "Some of my friends wanted to say hi personally."

"Right," Bill said with a nod as they walked along.

After a little while, they returned to their campsite and found their dad with a big Irish flag. "Cool!" Ginny said excitedly, watching the flag as it played the Irish national anthem.

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned, laughing together, Ginny saw that the three of them had special Quidditch omnioculars, and that Ron had picked up a doll figure of Victor Krum, the Bulgarian seeker. "He's obsessed," she muttered to her bitemates when they proclaimed the doll to be serpent food. "It's actually jussst a toy, bitematesss. Not even human."

The bitemates hissed in disappointment, and Ginny bit her lip before asking Charlie to feed her basilisks. The boy complied, the two standing in the shadow of one of the tents as the basilisks hunted and devoured their prey.

Finally, it was time for the match, and a gong sounded, the pathway near their camp lighting up with red and green lanterns. Ginny gathered up her bitemates as her dad announced that they were to go to the field at that moment. Their group quickly gathered up their rosettes and hats and headed down the path toward the stadium.

They arrived to see the huge stadium, and Ginny drew a deep breath, gazing up at it. Arthur led them forward, excitedly telling Harry that the stadium could seat one hundred thousand people. Arthur also explained that there were anti-Muggle charms on every single part of the stadium to keep things from becoming interworldly complicated.

"Prime tickets! Top box!" the Ministry witch told Mr. Weasley. "Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go."

"Thanks!" Arthur answered, and the family, Harry, and Hermione began the climb up the stairs.

Others climbed with them, but as others filtered out of the staircase into the rest of the stadium, only the Weasley party was left when they reached the Top Box. The instant Ginny walked in, she glanced around to see the others, but there were no other wizards there. All else in the box was one lone house-elf that was sitting in one of the gold and purple chairs, its hands over its face.

Ginny took a seat on the front row with her family, and began to talk to Charlie again, going on excitedly as she looked over the rest of the field and saw the stands filling with one hundred thousand witches and wizards from all over the world.

Leaning over next to Hermione, Ginny read the program over her shoulder for a moment, then glanced around the box. It had started to fill with people, and Ron was now testing his omnioculars on the crowd opposite them down below. Ginny sat back in her chair, swinging her feet excitedly and looking all around the stadium after Hermione had handed over her omnioculars for the time being.

Her father and Percy jumped up to greet nearly every Ministry official that walked in the door, and after greeting the Minister of Magic with a low bow, Percy suffered the misfortune of having his glasses fall off his face and shatter. Ginny felt sorry for Percy, as everything he tried to do to establish good connections backfired in his face—or off his face, as his glasses had just done.

As it was, the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, practically ignored Percy and greeted Harry as an old friend, asking him how he was. He then introduced Harry to the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, who didn't understand the English very well and only realized who Harry was when he spotted the boy's lightning-shaped scar.

"Knew we'd get there in the end," Fudge sighed. "I'm no good at these languages—" he went on, but Ginny tuned him out until she heard him say, "...ah, and here's Lucius!"

"Wha—!" Ginny said under her breath, turning to see Narcissa, Lucius, and Draco moving toward seats almost directly behind her in the second row.

"Ah, Fudge," Lucius said calmly, reaching out a hand to the Minister upon reaching him. "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or my son Draco?"

Fudge bowed to Narcissa, seeming very pleased, and Ginny smiled in spite of herself, thinking how perfectly poised Mrs. Malfoy was. Narcissa was, in effect, on display in front of all the important wizards in the Top Box. Ginny barely kept herself from rolling her eyes at the thought in time to hear Fudge say, "You know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?"

Lucius Malfoy's cold grey eyes swept over Arthur Weasley to the entire row that his party took up, and Ginny's basilisks began to hiss, " _Sissshausss sheisss! Sissshausss sheisss!_ "

"No!" Ginny hissed firmly, in spite of so many wizards watching her. "He is _sheisss,_ yesss, but not _hisssusss!_ How many timesss mussst I tell you all?"

"Good lord, Arthur," Lucius said softly. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"

Fudge blathered on about some fabulous donation Lucius had made to St. Mungo's, but Ginny didn't listen, certain her ears were burning red. If she ever got the chance, she was going to _fillet_ Lucius Malfoy for saying that. Next, she realized that he was sneering at Hermione, and even though she rather understood, Ginny was not at all pleased. _If everyone was perfect like you_ , Ginny thought at Lucius and the other two Malfoys in fury, _there wouldn't be anyone to be better than!_

Her father was slightly red, and Hermione was blushing, but staring back at Lucius Malfoy with determination. After a bit of an even thicker tensioned moment, the three Malfoys took their seats, Draco directly behind Ginny. She couldn't help but roll her eyes when she turned back around, and Hermione glanced at her, but Ginny didn't look at her.

Ludo Bagman arrived in the room moments later, and immediately pointed his wand at his throat, calling, " **Sonorus!** " He turned toward the stadium and shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen . . . welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

Ginny leaned forward with interest to see each team's mascots presented. Bulgaria, as the visiting team, would be presenting first. Ginny was surprised as she saw the women on the field, but at her father's reaction, realized what they were. "Bloody hell!" she yelped. " _Veela_!"

She glared down at them when they started to dance, and saw people begin to move toward the veela, pushing away those that tried to stop them. Harry and Ron both made a move toward the rail, and Hermione cried out, "Harry, what _are_ you doing?"

Ginny wanted to hide. Obviously the Malfoys, sitting right behind them could see everything that was going on. She wondered how Draco was reacting, and hissed for one of her bitemates to take a peek at Draco out of her collar to see how he was doing against the Veela charm.

"The _hisssusss_ not- _hisssusss_ isss not looking at the nasssty she-creaturesss, and isss being held down by hisss mother," Icythan reported.

"All right," Ginny said, almost giggling. "Thanks."

Bill, Charlie, Percy, and their dad had looked away from the veela and had not been affected. Fred and George were sitting still, staring at their laps. Ginny looked up again when they announced the Irish National Quidditch Team Mascots.

"Leprechauns!" Charlie shouted with a grin, and Ginny grinned excitedly as the big cloud split and formed two clouds instead. Once the two were on opposite sides of the stadium, a rainbow of light connected the two, and the crowd oohed and aahed.

One of the leprechaun clouds zoomed over their heads, dropping gold coins, and a lot of people around the stadium scrambled under their chairs and over other wizards to pick up the coins. This included Ron. He dumped a handful of gold in Harry's lap and shouted, "There you go for the Omnioculars! Now you have to buy me a Christmas present, ha!"

The mascots settled on either side of the field, and the teams were announced one by one, flying onto the field as their names were called. The referee from Egypt was announced, and Ginny vaguely wondered if Bill had ever met him before the Quaffle, Bludgers, and the Snitch were released, signaling the start of the match.

Almost immediately, the Irish Chasers had the Quaffle and were passing so fast that Bagman could only say their names, too slow to comment anything else. Ginny watched the Chasers work seamlessly and nodded as they scored three goals in ten minutes at unbelievable speeds.

 _I could do that,_ Ginny thought to herself. _I'm sure of it._

She heard Hermione shout at Harry to watch the match in real time, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. Icythan stirred around her neck, and she reached up, touching his scales gently. "Ssstay, please," she said softly. "I'd like you to be able to keep an eye on the young one behind me."

"Yesss, Missstress," Icythan answered.

A second later, one of the Bulgarians had scored, and Harry and all the Weasley males closed their eyes and plugged their ears as the Veela danced in celebration. Ginny rolled her eyes, then giggled when she heard that Draco hadn't been paying attention and had been affected by the Veela's dance.

Suddenly, Krum (the Bulgarian Seeker) and Lynch (the Irish Seeker) plummeted from the sky toward the ground as if dropping like stones. Hermione screamed in horror, and Krum pulled out of the dive just before the ground. Lynch plowed straight into the ground with a crunch that was heard all over the stadium.

Ginny absolutely shrieked with laughter, and Bill and Charlie stared at her a moment before shaking their heads. A time-out was called, and Ginny was still laughing as medi-wizards hurried onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch to make sure he was all right.

"Ginny!" Charlie hissed. "That's our team! Stop laughing!"

"Can't," Ginny giggled. "Charlie, he just—oh, you wouldn't understand!" She toned down her laughing, but still kept chuckling to herself.

The game resumed when Lynch was able to get up and play again. This seemed to arouse the Irish supporters, who roared in approval as their Seeker soared into the air. The game got dirtier, and when one of the Irish Chasers received an elbow almost in the face from the Bulgarian Keeper, a foul was called. The leprechauns were very pleased, but the veela were not impressed, and they danced angrily, causing the referee to try to impress them, forgetting all about the game.

A mediwizard raced across the field and kicked the referee in the shin. A moment of shock, and then the referee was shouting at the veela, which brought the two Bulgarian Beaters down onto the ground to shout at the referee. The Egyptian man was forced to give another penalty to Ireland before the Bulgarians would back down and get back on their brooms. The leprechauns and the Veela continued to fight as the game got underway again.

The game was furiously nasty now, both teams' Beaters trying to knock the other team's Chasers out of the sky. In spite of this battle, the Irish Chasers stood their ground, and one of the Irish Beaters' Bludger found its mark—right in the middle of Viktor Krum's face.

"Ouch," Ron howled. "Time-out. Come on! He can't play like _that_!"

But the referee was distracted again, for one of the veela had set the tail of his broom on fire. Harry stared, then shouted, " _Look at Lynch!_ He's seen the Snitch! He's seen it! Look at him go!"

The Irish supporters were deafening with their cheers, and the Bulgarians were hollering at Krum, but the young man was already turning his broom and dropping through the air toward the Snitch. Krum had drawn even with Lynch—

"They're going to crash!" shrieked Hermione.

"They're not!" roared Ron.

"Lynch is!" Harry yelled, and Lynch did, for the second time.

"The Snitch!" Charlie cried. "Where's the Snitch?"

Ginny felt herself shout with triumph as Harry hollered, "He's got it—Krum's got the Snitch—it's all over!"

A huge celebration slowly erupted from the Irish supporters, and the sound grew deafeningly loud in the stadium. "IRELAND WINS—KRUM GETS THE SNITCH—BUT IRELAND WINS! I don't think any of us were expecting that!" Bagman announced in triumph.

Krum landed, and as the medi-wizards battled to get near him through the veela and the leprechauns, a voice from behind the Weasleys said, "Vell, ve fought bravely."

"You can speak English!" said Fudge, sounding outraged. "And you've been letting me mime everything all day!"

"Vell, it vos very funny," answered the Bulgarian Minister, shrugging.

Ginny laughed into her hands, almost crying with laughter. Ireland had won by ten points merely because their Chasers had made so many goals before the opposing Seeker had caught the Snitch. It was marvelous, and as Harry said, Krum had wanted to end the match on his terms. It was what any halfway honourable person would want to do.

The Irish team completed a victory lap around the field as the Bulgarian team made their way to the Top Box to shake hands with both Ministers. Ginny watched Ron stare at Krum in adoration, but smiled as she clapped and cheered, believing that Krum was indeed the best Seeker on any National Quidditch team, and possibly any team there ever was!

Once the winning team had arrived in the Top Box, they were given the Quidditch World Cup to tumultuous applause. Two of the Chasers were supporting Lynch between them, and the battered young man grinned, his eyes half out of focus as the Irish team accepted the World Cup.

When the Irish Quidditch Team had left the box to go take their last victory lap of the field, Fred and George pounced on Bagman, asking him to give them the betting money he owed. Bagman sighed wearily and gave it to them.

Ginny watched around carefully and followed Mr. Weasley quickly as her family began to leave the Top Box. As she passed the end of her row, she made a point to trod on Draco's foot, as he seemed rather relaxed in his seat. The tiny sound that escaped him made Ginny smirk, and she walked after her father, red hair whipping around behind her.

They walked down the stairs together, thumping along with the thousands of other wizards. Arthur pleaded with Fred and George not to tell their mother they'd been gambling, and both boys chuckled and promised they wouldn't. As they entered the forest, Bill and Charlie began to sing a raucous Irish drinking song, and several wizards and witches around began to sing, shout, or clap along.

Two younger dark-haired boys began to skip along to the song, singing, and Ginny giggled to watch them. The slightly taller boy came over to Ginny. "D'you know the dance to the song, too?" he asked, and his little brother gave him a slightly disapproving look.

"Yes," Ginny nodded, feeling her three oldest brothers' eyes on her and the two younger boys.

"Good," said the boy. "Let's to it, then." He gave her his hand, and the two jumped, twirled, and stepped together as the ones who knew the song roared it merrily through the forest. He handed her off to his brother after a moment, and the shorter boy did just as well, the two making the others laugh. Others danced around them, all moving toward the other side of the wood.

After a couple of moments, Ginny's dad motioned her to rejoin their group in order to stay together, and Ginny glanced at the dark-haired boys again. "Where are your mum and dad?" she asked. "Were you with them?"

The older one glanced around. "Oh, we've lost them," he said in a strong Irish accent, grinning. "Happens all the time. Mind if we come with you so that our father will know where to pick us up? He doesn't like us out in the open, so it would be nice if we could tell him we were at someone's camp."

"Oh," Ginny said, then hurried up to her dad. "Dad, these two boys got separated from their parents. Do you think they could come to our campsite for a few minutes so that their dad will know where to pick them up?"

"Very well," Arthur consented, still grinning as he held the Irish flag. "Have you contacted your parents, boys?"

"Well, we will when we get there," said the taller boy. "Not while we're in the press, if you please." He joined Ginny in walking in front of Bill and Charlie, his little brother on his other side.

After a moment, the smaller boy said, "Is that Potter? With the youngest red-haired boy?"

Ginny almost scowled. "Yes, but Harry doesn't like to be stared or gawked at, so don't do it," she warned the two. "Harry's staying at our house for the rest of the summer because my brother is his best friend."

The two boys exchanged a look, and one of them said a few words in another language. "Wow!" Charlie said from behind them. "The two of you native Irish? That _was_ Gaelic, right?"

The boys nodded. "Do you speak it?" they asked together.

"No," Charlie shook his head. "I had a friend at Hogwarts who was Irish-born. How many years have the two of you got before Hogwarts?"

"I've got two more years," answered the older boy. "Mor's got three."

"Great," said Bill. "What house are you looking to?"

Neither boy answered the question, the two glancing at each other. "We aren't sure yet," said the younger boy. "We'll have to see what the Sorting Hat says."

The other boy nodded. "And what dad says. He says you can't trust the Sorting Hat."

Ginny laughed, and her older brothers chuckled. "That's probably true," agreed Charlie. "It does make students miserable sometimes. But it's the choices—"

"If you're going to quote Dumbledore, don't," ordered the older boy, and most of the Weasleys that had been paying attention to them raised their eyebrows. The boy then added, "I've heard way too much about him recently."

"Need some Dumbledore-free conversation?" Ginny asked sympathetically, and the two dark-haired boys laughed openly, trying to cover up the slightly tense moment.

When they arrived at the Weasley campsite, Fred and George pleaded with their father to let them stay up a little longer to discuss the match, and Arthur finally conceded, grinning as he set water to boil for cocoa. The dark-haired boys sat down on the ground next to Ginny, who made their cocoa and gave it to them.

"Thanks," they said together. "Thank you...Ginevra, isn't it?"

"Yes," Ginny nodded obediently. "So your father should be arriving soon then?"

"Yes," answered the first boy. "He'll be here as soon as he and Mum get through the crowd. We did leave them to come sing your drinking song with you."

"Let's have an encore before bed," Bill suggested, and Charlie sniggered.

The second boy shifted his position slightly. "Do you know the song about the Quidditch player in the pub?" he asked, and the Weasleys shook their heads, all except Charlie, who turned slightly pink and nodded. "I mean, the non-obscene version," the small boy added, making his brother laugh uproariously.

Ron chuckled, and Ginny said, "Sing it for us!"

The younger boy began to sing, his voice clear and strong, and the older boy pretended to play drums and pipes, accenting his brother's singing. They had just finished leading the Weasleys through the last verse of the song one time when an apparition sounded very close in the darkness. Two figures approached them, a female voice speaking in Gaelic.

The boys answered her, and the two came into the light of the fire, nodding to the others. "Thank you for allowing them to stay," said the woman, and Ginny saw that her hair was bright, Irish red.

"It was nothing," Arthur replied, jumping up and bowing to the woman politely. Ginny could not help but feel that the man was slightly standoffish, for he did not speak, only watched his sons carefully before glancing around the fire at the Weasleys and their guests.

"Thanks for the hot chocolate, Ginevra," said the older boy, giving her a little nod as he set the cup down on the ground. "It was marvelous." His brother agreed, and the two got to their feet, both joining their parents out of the light.

"You're welcome," Ginny answered as the man put his hand on his younger son's shoulder. "Good night."

"Goodnight!" the two boys and the woman said before they disapparated.

The Weasleys just shook their heads at the peculiar family and went back to drinking their cocoa. It wasn't until Ginny had dozed off too much and spilled her hot chocolate all over the floor of the boys' tent that Mr. Weasley insisted that they go to bed.

Ginny and Hermione stumbled next door to their own tent, dressed for bed, and went to sleep in spite of all the noise the Irish were still making on the other side of the field.


	13. Chapter 13

A little while later, Ginny awoke to strange sounds of bangs and jeering, sitting up and throwing a robe on over her clothes. Stepping outside of the tent in the still darkness, she saw people running and shouting, a dark mass of people moving across the field. "Daddy!" she shouted in horror at seeing them. "Daddy!"

The tent flap burst open and her father came out of the boys' tent, jeans pulled on over his pajamas. "Ginny!" he said, startled, then saw the people. "Oh, Merlin, not again—" he breathed in horror.

"Dad, it's Death Eaters!" Ginny gulped, feeling terror course through her. "And they've got that Muggle family!"

"Go get Hermione up and tell her to get a jacket on and join us outside the tent," her father ordered, giving her a shove in the direction of the girls' tent. "Don't waste time!"

Back inside the tent, Hermione was already up, and Ginny gave her her dad's orders, quickly pulling another coat on over her jumper. The two joined the others outside as the three oldest Weasley boys came from their tent, dressed and wands drawn, looking grim.

Ginny could not take her eyes off of the figures, knowing with dawning horror that those hooded and masked wizards were some of her very own Death Eater relations. She began to whisper to herself in Parseltongue, extremely distressed, and Hermione gave her a look of concern. A small dry sob escaped Ginny as she watched the Death Eaters and thought of her parents. "Tell them to ssstay sssafe," she hissed to her bitemates, then continued watching the hooded figures set tents on fire, or blast them out of the way as they marched the figures suspended in mid-air across the field.

"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley shouted, and Ginny turned to see her oldest brothers already heading toward the crowd beneath the Muggles. "You lot—get into the woods, and _stick together!_ I'll come and fetch you once we sorted this out!"

"Dad, be careful!" Ginny pleaded, sounding very frightened, and when he looked at her, he nodded once, then turned and pelted after his sons.

"C'mon," Fred said, and grabbed her hand, leading her along.

"Daddy," she choked in Parseltongue. "Bill! Charlie! Percy!"

George slipped his arm around Ginny's back. "Come on," he said firmly. "Dad says we've got to go, so let's go." He and Fred helped her along to the edge of the wood, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione had already disappeared into the throng of people running to hide from the rioters.

Fred and George led Ginny deep into the woods until they found stumps to sit on in an out of the way place. Ginny sat down and wrapped her arms around her knees, very pale as her bitemates hissed excitedly about the fire and magic. The twins didn't say anything to Ginny, but stayed by her side, occasionally patting her back or squeezing her shoulder gently.

Silent tears were beginning to run down Ginny's cheeks as she began to understand more about her real parents' life on the run. They never had a safe place, never had somewhere to really rest—she knew they were with the rioting Death Eaters. The bitemates had said so. The "other holder of the bitematesss wasss nearby, playing with the _hisssusss_ before the kill."

Almost the entire Ministry was out at the World Cup, and it should have been considered folly to do something so stupid as to play with Muggles like that! What if her parents were captured? Wouldn't that be an interesting headline? _IRELAND WINS QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP: DEATH EATERS CAPTURED IN AFTERMATH_.

"Father," she whispered, touching two of her bitemates. "Don't get caught. Please."

"Ginny," Fred said softly, "it's going to be okay."

"Really," George added uncomfortably. "The Ministry will get it taken care of."

"Father," Ginny wept in English, and the charm came off her hair.

Both Weasley twins regarded the dark-haired girl uncomfortably. "Is he out there?" Fred asked.

Ginny nodded, closing her eyes, and George put his arms around her. "They'll be all right," he said. "If they've been free for this long. Say, do you think Malfoy's dad is out there?"

The girl didn't reply, sniffling against George's robe without reassurance. She was almost certain that Lucius, most of the Charleston adults, and possibly her uncle Larosil were all involved in the riot. Estella didn't even know if her other cousins' families had been at the Cup, but whoever was there: she was sure that they were all involved in the riot. Estella clung to George, hiding her face in his jacket as there were more bangs, followed by screams.

Seconds later, a huge green flash lit up the sky, and Fred cried, "Would you look at that!"

Estella looked up and almost shrieked. The Dark Mark was forming over their heads, the skull and serpent easily visible in the dark night sky. She knew the Mark well enough from her own mother and father's arms that she knew the person who had casted the spell was quite a few minutes away from them.

"Oh no!" George gasped. "Fred, it's—"

"The Dark Mark!" they whispered in fervent horror.

Estella got to her feet. "We've got to get out of here. The Death Eaters will be coming, and we should be around more people if we want to be safe."

Fred looked extremely alarmed. "Ginny, you can't be crying one moment, then change your hair colour and decide that you don't like the view!"

Ginny put the charm back on her hair and lit her wand. "Well, then," she said, staring up at the Mark. "Tell me if _that's_ a safe thing to see after Death Eaters have rioted. I seem to remember that it's a sign that someone's been killed, or done in. We've got to get out of here or we'll run across the Death Eater that did that!"

"Well, let's get back to the camp, then," George suggested. "At least they'll know where to find us—well, Dad and Bill and the others, I mean."

"All right," Fred agreed, and the three set off, hearing screams and terrified voices as more and more wizards spotted the Dark Mark in the air.

"Missstress," Icythan said excitedly as Ginny walked through the forest, her wand lit, "your sssire isss watching you."

"Tell him to get out of here," Ginny ordered her basilisk, a little more forcefully than she had intended. "I sssaid ssstay sssafe! I'll be fine!"

"Very well," came a pained hiss of Parseltongue from the shadows. There was a pop, and Ginny whirled just in time to see leaves moving in the trees.

"Missstress's mother isss already gone," Icythan informed her. "Massster hasss returned to hisss new nessst."

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," she said.

Fred and George stared at her. "Someone just disapparated from the shadows, and you think that's good?"

"Dad, are you all right?" she hissed in concern, ignoring her brothers.

"The sssign of _Sissshausss-a-sissshausss_ wasss cassst and caused massster pain," Sadura explained. "Burn, in hisss arm."

"But he'sss okay?" Ginny insisted, and the bitemates reassured her that he was, other than his Mark burning.

The three stumbled out of the field to find the rioters gone, although people were still milling about in the darkness, seeming terrified and very confused. Fred and George led Ginny straight into the boys' tent, and sat there, waiting for something to happen. Finally, they heard footsteps, and Ginny peeked out of the tent, her wand lit and ready.

She could see three figures coming toward the tent. "Bill?" she called. "Charlie? Percy?"

"Ginny!" they called as one in relief. "Where are the others?"

"Fred and George are here," she called back, hurrying out and hugging Bill tightly. He made a little sound, then wrapped one arm around her back.

"He's injured," Charlie cautioned her. "And Percy's got a bloody nose."

"Are you all right?" Ginny asked him, pulling back from her oldest brother.

Bill snorted as they all made their way into the tent. "He's only got a tear in his shirt," Bill said. "That was pointless. Whoever casted that Dark Mark has to be crazy! A mad thing!"

Charlie nodded, grabbing one of the bedsheets and ripping it to make a cloth for Bill's arm. Bill took it and pressed it to his bleeding arm after motioning Ginny to sit beside him. "Are you all right, Ginny? You're really, really pale."

Ginny bit her lip, sitting down close to him and shivering. "I'm just worried about Dad," she admitted.

"He's a stalwart wizard," Percy told her. "Dad will be fine. He's probably just gone to look for Ron and the others. I hope the excitement is over now."

"I hope they get whoever did this," Charlie said fervently. "Don't they remember what a nightmare it was to live during the war? Was their point really to terrify everyone that had come here tonight?"

"The Dark Lord is returning," Ginny whispered, and her brothers looked at her questioningly. "It has been foretold that the Dark Lord will return and begin another Wizarding War. The time for this is soon: the warning signs have been noticed, most likely, and Death Eaters are blowing off steam as they wait."

Charlie sat down and put his arm around his sister. "Ginny," he said very gently, "what do you know of this?"

Ginny leaned against her brother's arm. "Too much," she almost whimpered. "There has been unrest in Slytherin, especially among those families whose fathers pled Imperius after the last War. It's going to come to war again, Charlie. It'll be horrible."

Fred and George seemed very nervous, and Percy said, "Are you sure, Ginny?"

She nodded, then wrapped herself in the blanket Charlie offered her. The boy went to the doorway of the tent upon hearing more footsteps and voices, calling out, "Dad, what's going on? Fred, George, and Ginny got back okay, but the others—"

"I've got them here," Mr. Weasley answered, ducking into the tent. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed, the brown-haired girl seeming upset about something.

"Did you get them, Dad?" Bill asked sharply, still mopping blood from his arm. "The person who conjured the Mark?"

"No," her father answered, and Ginny almost sighed in relief. "We found Barty Crouch's elf holding Harry's wand, but we're none the wiser about who actually conjured the Mark."

" _What?_ " said Bill, Charlie, and Percy together.

Fred stared at Harry. "Harry's wand?"

"Mr Crouch's elf?" Percy said in astonishment.

"We saw the Mark cast," Ron told Percy. "But it couldn't have been the elf!"

"From the beginning," Arthur said, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione helped him tell their story.

The three had been in the wood and met Draco, who taunted Hermione about being dangled in the air just like the Muggle family. They had moved on past Draco, and come to rest in a clearing.

"We heard noises, like someone running," Hermione explained. "And we turned to see who it was, but there was no one there."

"I called out," said Harry, "but no one answered."

"And then," Hermione continued, "someone shouted an incantation, and that Mark—" she shuddered.

A word came straight into Ginny's mind, and she whispered it to herself. " _Morsmordre_."

Arthur turned to her sharply. "What did you say, Ginny?"

She looked up at him. " _Morsmordre,_ " she said more loudly.

"That's it!" Ron cried. "That's what we heard—how do you know that?"

"That's the incantation for conjuring the Mark," Ginny told them weakly, realizing that she must have remembered it from her real parents' conversations over her in the orphanage.

"Ginny, no one knows that," Bill said softly. "Only a Death Eater could be sure."

Harry looked at them all seriously. "That spell really does sound like what we heard, though," he said. "And then, we called out again, and Hermione was terrified, and then the Ministry showed up and tried to Stun us."

Ron looked annoyed. "Crouch accused Harry of conjuring the Mark!" he said, and everyone looked surprised, including Percy.

"And then he accused Winky!" Hermione said over Ron. "She couldn't have!"

"Winky?" Charlie asked.

"That's Mr. Crouch's house-elf," Percy said, leaning forward.

Hermione looked more upset. "She was found with Harry's wand in her hand, and the Mark came out of Harry's wand when Mr. Diggory did that spell. Winky said that she didn't know how to conjure the Mark, but Crouch still accused her—"

"And he freed her on the spot," Ron nodded, sounding almost impressed. "She bawled something awful—"

"Ron, you're horrible—" Hermione fumed, and Percy interrupted.

"Well, Mr. Crouch is quite right to get rid of an elf like that," he said. "Running off when he expressly told her not to...embarrassing him in front of the whole Ministry...how would that have looked, if she'd been brought up in front of the Department for Regulation and Control—"

"She didn't do anything—she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Hermione snapped, surprising Percy, who looked just the slightest bit apologetic.

He quickly recovered himself. "Hermione, a wizard in Mr. Crouch's position can't afford a house-elf who's going to run amok with a wand!"

"She didn't run amok!" shouted Hermione, and Ginny raised her eyebrows. "She just picked it up off the ground!"

"Look, can someone just explain what that skull thing was?" Ron said impatiently. "It wasn't hurting anyone...why is it such a big deal?"

"I told you!" Hermione said. "It's You-Know-Who's Mark, Ron. I read about it in The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts."

"And it hasn't been seen for thirteen years," said Mr. Weasley quietly. "Of course people panicked...it was almost like seeing You-Know-Who back again."

"I don't get it," said Ron cluelessly. "I mean, it's still only a shape in the sky..."

"Ron," Mr. Weasley said very seriously, "You-Know-Who and his followers sent the Dark Mark into the air whenever they killed. The terror it inspired...you have no idea, you're too young. Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house and knowing what you're about to find inside..."

Arthur winced, and images flashed through Ginny's mind of screaming children and mutilated bodies. Laughing hooded figures—Ginny shuddered, and Charlie squeezed her reassuringly.

Bill scowled. "It didn't help us tonight, whoever conjured it. It scared the Death Eaters away the moment they saw it. They all disapparated before we'd got near enough to unmask any of them. We caught the Robertses before they hit the ground, though. They're having their memories modified now."

"Death Eaters?" Harry asked. "What are Death Eaters?"

"It's what You-Know-Who's supporters call themselves," Bill began, but Ginny interrupted.

"They're actually named for a word of Parseltongue," she said. "The word _sissshausss_ means to devour something, to make it part of your power. The Death Eaters believe that as they destroy the supposedly lesser part of society, it will make them more powerful. This same word can also be literally translated "eat death."

Everyone was staring at Ginny in surprise, but Bill said, "I think we saw what's left of them tonight—the ones that managed to keep themselves out of Azkaban, anyway."

Arthur sighed. "We can't prove it was them, Bill, though it probably was."

Ginny sputtered inwardly. _Of course it was them!_ she thought. _Why else would they flee at the sign of their Dark Lord? Because they're unfaithful?!_

"Yeah, I bet it was!" Ron said suddenly, interrupting Ginny's angry, violent thoughts. "Dad, we met Draco Malfoy in the woods, and he as good as told us his dad was one of those masked ninnies! And we all know the Malfoys were right in with You-Know-Who!"

It wasn't until Percy gave her a stern look that she realized her magic had crackled angrily. Pulling herself together, she heard Harry say, "But what were Voldemort's supporters—sorry, I mean, what were You-Know-Who's supporters up to, levitating Muggles? I mean, what was the point?"

"The point?" said Arthur. "Harry, that's their idea of _fun_. Half the Muggle killings back when You-Know-Who was in power were done for fun—"

"The more gruesome the better," Ginny added, unable to resist. She made sure to keep a straight face. "Whole blocks of Muggle homes gone up in flames from the Dark Arts. Terrorism, really."

"I suppose they had a few drinks tonight and couldn't resist reminding us all that lots of them are still at large. A nice little reunion for them," Arthur finished with distaste.

"But if they _were_ the Death Eaters, why did they leave when they saw the Mark?" Ron asked, confused. "Wouldn't they be pleased about it?"

"Use your brains, Ron," Bill sighed. "If they really were Death Eaters, they worked very hard to keep out of Azkaban when You-Know-Who lost power, and told all sorts of lies about him forcing them to kill and torture people. I bet they'd be even more frightened than the rest of us to see him come back. They denied they'd ever been involved with him when he lost his powers, and went back to their daily lives...I don't reckon he'd be over-pleased with them, do you?"

Ginny bit her lip. "He'll sharpen his _Crucio_ on them, won't he?"

Harry looked slightly confused, but Hermione, Fred, and George seemed very uncomfortable at Ginny's statement. Hermione also seemed to be thinking about something very hard. "Whoever cast that Mark," she began, "were they doing it to encourage the Death Eaters, or to scare them away?"

"Anyone's guess," Charlie said, shaking his head.

"I'll say this," Mr. Weasley added. "It was only the Death Eaters that ever knew how to conjure it. I'd be very surprised if the person who did it hadn't been a Death Eater once, even if they're not now—look, we've got to get some sleep so we can get an early portkey out of here. Your mother will be frantic."

Arthur stepped outside to see the girls to their tent, Hermione going on ahead. Ginny sniffled a little, then clung to her father tightly after a moment. "They really were Death Eaters," she whispered. "I know they were."

He squeezed her tightly, protectively. "You don't need to tell me anything," he said softly, "but how did you know the incantation for the Dark Mark?"

Ginny bit her lip, looking up into Arthur Weasley's kind, worried face and whispered, "I—I once saw a woman cast it. It was the first thing I thought of when Hermione mentioned they heard an incantation..."

Arthur looked at her for a moment, then said quietly, "Ginny—be very careful what you say. You do know way too much about Death Eaters and their kind than any thirteen year old girl should."

She gave him a weak smile. "Good night, Dad," she said. "I love you." She stood on her tiptoes, pulling him down and kissing his cheek before hurrying off to her tent.


	14. Chapter 14

Precious few hours later, Arthur woke them up to leave their campsite. He packed the tents with his wand, and the group walked as fast as they could toward the place where the portkeys were. They passed Mr. Roberts at the door of his cottage, and the man wished them a rather dazed "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas!" Ginny answered brightly. "And Happy New Year!"

"Ginny!" Percy said indignantly as Fred, George, and Charlie all chuckled to themselves.

"He'll be all right," Mr. Weasley said. "Sometimes, when a person's memory is modified, it makes him a bit disoriented for a while...and that was a big thing they had to make him forget."

Ginny scowled back at the Muggle for an instant. "It was one night!" she fumed. "One bloody night, and he can't remember it's summer, not winter!"

Bill motioned Ginny over to himself, and she walked by his side, still upset. "He's a Muggle, Ginny. No magic sustaining him, or helping him recover. Of course wizards would recover more easily." She nodded, understanding that Bill was trying to make her feel better. He knew that she was thinking with fury of the St. Mungo's Healers' making her forget half her life.

They were able to catch a portkey back to Stoatshead Hill before light, and walked down the hill and through the slumbering town toward the Burrow. Just as they'd reached the end of the lane, they all heard someone shout, "Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness!"

Molly Weasley was literally running down the lane toward them, dressed in her bathrobe and slippers. She was clutching a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ , which she dropped as she hugged her husband around the neck. "Arthur, I've been so worried...so worried—"

She pulled back and stared around at them all. "You're all right," she murmured. "You're alive! Oh, _boys_ —!" she grabbed Fred and George in a hug, shocking them and banging their heads together.

"Ow! Mum, you're strangling us," they protested.

"I shouted at you before you left," said Mrs. Weasley, beginning to sob. "It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who'd got you, and the last thing I'd ever said to you was that you didn't get enough OWLs? Oh, Fred, George—!"

"Come on now, Molly, we're all perfectly okay," Arthur reassured her before separating her from the twins and leading her toward the house.

Ginny watched Bill pick up the paper that Molly had dropped and frowned, wondering what it said. She didn't have to wait long, for the instant Arthur had sat down at the kitchen table and began to read it, he sighed. "Just as I thought. Everything's going to be in an uproar now because of this Rita Skeeter. She's going on about Ministry incompetence—"

"They _are_!" Ginny said before she could stop herself, and Percy snapped at her, then went on to complain about Rita Skeeter dissing his cauldron bottoms.

"Do us a favour, Perce, and shut up," Bill told him.

"I've got to go into work," Arthur said heavily. "This says that I refused to give onlookers information as to what happened. Now there are going to be rumours that bodies really _were_ removed from the wood as the paper says. I've made things worse, and I've got to fix it. I'll just change into my robes and go."

"I'll go too," Percy said importantly, and darted upstairs to get presentable.

Ginny sat dully at the table with Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George as the Golden Trio hurried away up the stairs at Harry's word. So secretive, they supposed they were. Still, Ginny wondered what they talked about sometimes—and also who Harry thought should be writing him. Harry seemed a bit anxious about that.

Charlie turned to Ginny. "I think Mum put your school things up in your room, if you'd like to have a look."

She was about to get up from the table when Fred said, "Ginny, about this summer—well, I—I've been a—"

"Prick," Ginny supplied. "It's okay. Betrayal isn't to be taken lightly: it can lead to your death, in some cases."

"Language, Ginny," Bill scolded, but with a twinkle in his eyes. Charlie was chuckling, and asked, "What did you do?"

"I didn't," she answered. "Estella did. But never mind. I think I'll go look through my school things." She got up, then hugged her older brothers and turned to Fred and George. " **Vermus Nez**!"

Both twins shouted in horror, succumbing to the hex at the same time. Ginny had warded the room so that no one outside of it would hear. "Ginny!" came Percy's voice a second later, but Ginny didn't turn from the twins until she was satisfied, and took the hex off of them.

She glanced at Percy. "You were heading to work, Weatherby?"

The twins didn't even laugh, getting to their feet and ducking out of the room quickly. Percy looked at her. "You know better."

"I told you I didn't care," she answered, "and you didn't either until you started working for the Ministry. In fact, you should go help them. They're incompetent."

Furious, Percy stormed off, and Ginny headed upstairs, passing her mother and father on the way. Entering her room, Ginny felt the wards go back up and noticed the pile of books and packages next to her school trunk. Ginny opened her trunk to begin putting her things in it, and saw the picture of her Slytherin friends and cousins on the lid.

Taking the photo from the lid, Ginny looked at herself and the three sleeping Lestranges, her Patronus protecting them as they slept. "I've got to write them," she promised herself. "Although I will be seeing them soon. I wonder if the twins got to see the World Cup, or if they saw the Mark in the sky."

"Essstella," came a soft voice, and Ginny looked up to see her father standing just inside her window.

"Oh!" she gave a soft gasp, and darted into his arms as fast as she could, hugging him more tightly than she'd hugged most everyone else in the world.

"May I come take you away tonight?" he asked, his voice very quiet as his dark eyes bored into hers.

"Yeah," she answered, her voice muffled until she looked up at him and saw Levir and Lises, visible, coiled around his arms and shoulders.

Reginald Parkington hugged his daughter firmly. "I'll be taking you to the Chamber. I will come back at one o' clock for you." He released her, and she stepped back, aching for him to stay, but knowing he could not.

She watched him walk out of the window and called after him softly, "I love you."

Later that night, Ginny headed up to her room at almost midnight, her father and Percy having come home really late. She dressed to go out, making sure she was presentable, and made sure that her wand was still in her pocket. Her bitemates refused to stay behind, and she had all of them on her body, ready to visit their bitemates in the Chamber.

A few minutes before one o' clock in the morning, her father reappeared in her room, motioning to her to come quickly. She joined him, and he took her arm, leading her out the window. As they fell from the height, she almost screamed, and he clapped his hand over her mouth before disapparating from mid-air.

They appeared in the main room of the Chamber, Estella falling to the floor as her father landed nimbly before her. He offered her his hand, and she took it, hoisting herself to her feet. She gave him a small smile, her heart racing as adrenaline coursed through her.

"Estella!" Her mother came into the main room and gave her a look of fury and displeasure. "Your hair!"

The girl did not move from her father's side, taking the charm off her red hair so that it would become its natural black. Reginald slipped his arm around his daughter and pressed her close to his side. "Did you know that a third lives here in the Chamber with us?" he asked his daughter. "We haven't been able to catch him—I think he's avoiding us. Do you know who our other guest is?"

Estella didn't reply, unsure what to say. She'd completely forgotten that Tom lived in the Chamber, and might have run-ins with her parents. "Um," she began, then bit her lip. "I know he's here—"

The young man in question appeared behind Meretta and repelled her curses with efficiency. "If we may speak like civilized wizards," he said coolly, making her jump away from his own curses. "Perhaps you needn't get hurt—"

"Hurt!" shrieked Meretta with a laugh. "Ha! Who are you?"

"I am a cousin of your beloved Dark Lord," Tom answered, finally stepping out of the way of another curse. "He doesn't appreciate me."

"This is the original Tom Riddle," Estella told her father, who raised his eyebrows.

"It's all true?" he said in surprise. "It's all true, what Ramea says? At least, about there being two Tom Riddles?"

Meretta froze for an instant. "No!"

Tom regarded her, his wand still ready. "No?" he asked softly. "Would you like to see my bloodline, Meretta? Or would you prefer to believe without seeing, as your friends in Azkaban do? Did you enjoy your night at the Quidditch Cup? How's your Mark, young one?"

Estella bit her lip as her father gently loosened her grip on him and stepped forward. Reginald Parkington spoke. "If you are indeed the Dark Lord's cousin, then you are of the House of Gaunt. You would also be a very distant cousin of mine, and of Estella's, as much as Salazar Slytherin would deny us."

"He put us in charge of the Chamber, didn't he?" Ginny asked. "Why would he do that, if he'd disowned our line?"

"He didn't disown us, exactly," Reginald answered. "We just aren't the heirs: the Gaunt line is Salazar's heirs. A heritage test, then, Riddle?" He conjured a silver knife and handed it to Tom. Meretta whipped out a small bottle of a clear liquid, and stared at Tom, her eyes gleaming.

"Very well," Tom said, and without setting his wand down, he cut his left palm open, allowing Meretta to pour a couple of the drops from the bottle into his hand.

Reginald took the knife back and cut his own palm, allowing Meretta to put the drops onto his hand as well. The blood and the clear liquid collided, bubbling until the blood turned a very dark purple colour. The two men looked at each other, then stepped closer and pressed their palms together, magic instantly crackling around their hands. Reginald gave a gasp, then closed his eyes a moment, and Estella waited, almost afraid, wondering what would happen.

"Blood and magic mingled," Tom smirked at Reginald when the younger man stepped back, hissing sharply. "You know who I am. You felt the blood connection. I will leave you alone, but I'm not leaving. I'm here by your daughter's will."

"You're here because you have nowhere else to go," Estella corrected him angrily. "You're here because I didn't know everything in the Chamber was up to me!" She hurried to her father, very worried. "Are you all right? Tom, what did you—?"

"I didn't do anything," Tom answered. "It will be nothing compared to what is to come. I'll be elsewhere in the Chamber. Good evening—or should I say, good morning." Tom disappeared without another word.

"Father," Estella whispered, her hand on his arm as she stepped to his side again. "Is there some way I can help you?"

Reginald shook his head, then raised his sleeve slightly, exposing the raw burn on his forearm. Ginny bit her lip in horror, and Reginald grimaced, pushing his sleeve back over his Dark Mark. "He really is the Dark Lord's cousin, and the heir of the House of Gaunt. His magic—it's almost like the Dark Lord's—Meretta, he activated my Mark!"

Ginny didn't know what to say, staying by her father's side as he crossed the Chamber and entered a room, her mother following them. "He can't have!" she said sharply, grabbing her husband by the robe and yanking up his left sleeve to see for herself.

Estella saw the raw-looking skull and snake on her father's arm and drew closer. "How would someone else know if the Mark is activated?" she asked. "Just by looking at it, I mean."

Meretta rolled up her sleeve, placing her left arm side by side with her husband's. "His is red and almost inflamed-looking," Meretta said, "as if one of us had sent the Mark just now. My Mark—it's darkened!"

Reginald glanced toward his wife and Estella asked, "What's that mean?"

"The Dark Lord is closer to us," Meretta told her. "He's coming back, just as I always thought he would. We have waited so long..."

She sighed, and Reginald wrapped his arm around her waist loosely. "Right after the Accident, our Marks faded to look like a mere blemish," he told his daughter, who was still looking at her mother's Dark Mark. "Since the beginning of this summer, our Marks are becoming darker, more outlined. It is another sign of the Dark Lord's return."

Estella looked down at the floor of the Chamber. "Did you know before—before my dream?"

Meretta snorted. "Oh yes. Sometimes our Marks would pain us a little and remind us of our duty, and we would know. Those Death Eaters that don't believe in the Dark Lord's return are ignoring the evidence on their arms!"

"It was never your fault that the Death Eaters are reuniting," the man said quietly. "Your dream has nothing to do with our preparing to return to the Dark Lord."

"So you will go back?" Estella asked, then immediately realized her mistake.

"Of course!" shrieked Meretta angrily. "He is the most powerful wizard there ever was, and we will return to our duty when he returns for us! As those in Azkaban have been faithful, so will I be! You, girl, should know this! Your father and I have spent our whole lives running from those who oppose us!"

Estella bit her lip, not saying a word. Her father motioned to her to follow him, and the two walked over to the couch in the room, sitting down. "The answer is yes," Reginald told her. "We will always return to the Dark Lord, and any Death Eater that does not—his life is forfeit. There will be a price to pay for those that denied our Master."

"He isss not our Massster, isss he?" Levir asked, raising his head slightly.

Reginald touched the basilisk gently, rubbing his fingers along its scales. "If you obey me," he hissed softly, "you will obey _Sissshausss-a-sissshausss_."

Estella felt a chill run up and down her spine and bit her lip. "That Auror," she began in Parseltongue, then stopped, unable to find the right words.

"We're on the run," Reginald said softly. "Sometimes it's necessary to protect ourselves aggressively, Estella. We will soon be at war, too."

"Using my bitemates to kill," Estella said quietly.

"What are you saying?" Reginald asked her straightforwardly. "Are you commanding me concerning the basilisks?"

"No," she whispered. "I'm trying to understand."

Reginald looked away from her. "I'm not a good man, Estella. I am bound to the Dark Lord and will remain so my entire life, doing whatever I must to remain free and alive. That would include killing or injuring anyone who tries to stop me."

She bit her lip again, and said, "Would you ever hurt me if I got in your way?"

He drew a sharp breath. "Don't," he whispered. "Estella, don't ever put me in that position. You're my daughter, but—the Dark Lord wouldn't understand—if I held back because of you. Please—please—I'd never want to hurt you."

Ginny's heart sank. "Daddy," she sniffled.

He sighed and turned to her, drawing her into his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered as she snuggled close to him, wanting to feel comforted. "I've made my life a terrible mess, sweetling. I know you're trying to understand and accept the reality of your parents' life. Please remember that I love you."

"Yes, Father," she sniffled, and he released her after a moment.

"You should go back to the Burrow to sleep now," he told her. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I guess," Estella answered, disappointed. "Can't I stay here and go back in the morning? Before they get up?"

Her father chuckled and got to his feet. "When you're here at school, you can stay down here. Don't risk being found out if you can help it, child." He slipped his arm around her shoulders and led her from the room.

She looked around, then asked him, "Where did Mum go? I didn't even see her leave!"

"Probably to rest," Reginald shrugged. "We were speaking Parseltongue, and that does annoy her, especially because she's the only one here that doesn't speak."

"Oh." Estella glanced around as her father put his arm around her.

"Be still," he said, then disapparated. They appeared outside the Burrow, and Reginald motioned her to move with him, the two moving quickly toward the house. Suddenly, they were airborne, and before Ginny could say anything, they had landed in her bedroom.

The man touched her hair gently, his magic crackling softly through his hand, and her hair changed from natural black to a dark red. "Remember, Estella," he said. "I love you." He kissed her forehead and hugged her, then headed for the window, leaving quickly.

"I love you too," she whispered, arriving at the window too late to see him disapparate. "I love you too, Father."

Estella turned from the window and caught sight of herself in the shadowed mirror. _He didn't give me the right shade of red hair,_ she thought to herself, standing there for a second in the moonlight. _I'll keep it_ , she decided. _I can just tell anyone that asks that I woke up with it._ She smirked at herself in the mirror, then stepped closer, posing as she'd seen her real mother stand.

Teneski poked her head out of her mistress's sleeve, hissing almost in amusement, "Missstress's sssire saysss sssleep, Missstress. It isss late."

"Yesss, Father," she chuckled softly, then allowed her bitemates to slither closer to her body as she changed silently into her nightgown. She wrapped her warmest bathrobe around herself before crawling into bed, feeling extra cold. Feeling something behind her pillow, she pulled it out and realized it was her teddy bear. Squeezing it to herself tightly, she covered it with her regular blanket so that Hermione wouldn't see it in the morning.

Ginny rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking of Hermione's sleeping through a Death Eater twice flying in through the window. "The _hisssusss_ did not hear usss come in either time," she said to the bitemates with a yawn.

"Missstress," said Zisi importantly, "Massster saysss sssleep!"

"I will," Ginny sighed as her basilisks settled all around her. "Goodnight, bitematesss."

They hissed softly, and she fell asleep, Icythan coiled against her chest.


	15. Chapter 15

On Sunday evening before they returned to school, everyone sat together in the living room of the Burrow except Arthur, who was still at the Ministry. Ginny sat on the floor in front of the fire, annoyed as she repaired her Herbiology book with Spello-tape. Hermione had come into her room at just the wrong time to keep her from using her wand, and Ginny now had to resort to using tape until she got on the train.

Percy was going on and on about how Howlers had ruined his best quill and the older boys were suddenly all discussing whether or not their father was partially to blame for the rumours about bodies removed from the wood near the Quidditch Cup.

Molly mentioned cutting Bill's hair again, and he told her, " _No_ , Mum."

Ginny smiled to herself, watching Fred and George whisper to each other, writing on a piece of paper. They denied it being for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, but Ginny doubted it, laughing with the rest of them when Fred said, "Now, Mum, if the Hogwarts Express crashed tomorrow, and George and I died, how would you feel to know that the last thing we ever heard from you was an unfounded accusation?"

"Dad's coming home!" Ginny said excitedly, pointing at the hands of the clock, and Molly jumped up, heading into the kitchen to greet him.

"Hi," Arthur said to them all once he'd entered the living room, sinking into a chair with his supper on a tray before him. "Rita's found out about old Bertha going missing, and it's going to be in the _Prophet_ tomorrow. I _told_ Bagman—"

"Mr. Crouch has been saying it for weeks," Percy put in swiftly.

"Mr. Crouch is very lucky Rita hasn't found out about Winky," Arthur answered, shaking his head. "There'd be a week's worth of headlines in his house-elf being caught holding the wand that conjured the Dark Mark."

Hermione glared at Percy, who had immediately jumped in to defend Crouch's "honour." "If you ask me," Hermione said haughtily and angrily, "Mr. Crouch is very lucky no one at the _Daily Prophet_ knows how mean he is to house-elves!"

"Now look here, Hermione!" Percy said. "A high-ranking Ministry official like Mr. Crouch deserves unswerving obedience—"

"That's not what she's saying!" Ginny spoke up, unable to stop herself, wanting to tell Hermione to stuff it. "She's just read too much about the rise and fall of the Dark Arts and not enough about the role of house-elves in the Wizarding World. You should research house-elves when you get to Hogwarts, Hermione," she added. "It might help."

"I will," said Hermione, jumping to her feet and heading upstairs.

Molly told the others to all go make sure they were completely packed to leave for Hogwarts the next day, and Ginny groaned inwardly, not wanting to see Hermione so soon since she was sure to still be upset about Winky. Ginny finally dragged herself up the stairs into her room where Hermione was organizing her trunk, not being careful, but banging things around as she packed.

"They're slaves!" Hermione snapped as she slammed her books into her trunk. "I'll bet they're not even paid, are they? No! They have to keep all their _master's_ secrets, and—" she slammed her ink pots into the trunk and one of them broke. "Oooh!" she growled at it.

"Let me," Ginny said, coming over to Hermione as she tried to remain calm on the outside. She drew her wand and cleaned up the mess, repairing the ink pot. "House elf magic works best when it is bound by ours. Many house-elves are bound willingly, and their descendants often serve the House their ancestors have served for centuries."

"They're not paid!" Hermione insisted, then said, "Thanks. Ginny, you didn't see what Mr. Crouch did to her! She was—"

"If he set her free, _as was his privilege_ ," Ginny answered shortly, "(and I have no doubt he did), it was much easier on her than other wizards would have done. No one blinks an eye at how someone else treats their house-elves, Hermione." Hermione nearly began to speak, but Ginny stopped her with an upraised hand. "It's like looking in on someone in the loo. We don't do that."

Hermione's face was slightly pink. "Of course not—!"

Ginny nodded, looking straight at her. "Well, then. Leave the wizards and their house-elves alone."

The brown-haired girl was about to reply when the door opened, and Molly stormed in. "Robes," she said briskly, laying Ginny's on the bed and handing Hermione's down to her. "Ginny, Ron says he refuses to wear his dress robe—you haven't even unwrapped your dress robes yet!"

"I'll get it done," Ginny answered. "In a minute."

"Quickly," Molly told her. "We've got to get to bed early tonight. And Percy wants to see you."

"Me?" Hermione said, pointing to herself. "Or her?" She pointed to Ginny.

"Me obviously," Ginny rolled her eyes. "You aren't allowed to speak to him for the next three years after the way you shouted at him about Mr. Crouch."

To the surprise of both girls, Molly chuckled, then walked out of the room. Ginny and Hermione glanced at each other, then began to pack their fresh robes into their trunks. Ginny took up her package for her new dress robes and bit her lip, wondering what Mrs. Weasley had got her. Once she'd got it open, she bit her lip at the multi-coloured robe before her eyes.

"Ooh," said Hermione. "Are you going to wear that?"

"Yes," Ginny answered dully. "I might transfigure or charm it to make it look better, but I'll wear it." She folded the robe into her trunk, then said, "I'll be back later." She left the room and met Percy coming up the stairs. "You wanted to talk to me?" she asked him softly.

"That paper you showed me on the train home," he murmured. "Have you decided what to do about it?"

"What—oh!" Ginny darted back into her room and grabbed the paper, hurrying out again without looking at Hermione. "Well, at least, I haven't signed it yet," she answered. "Shall we not stand in the middle of the stairway?"

Percy nodded and led the way up the stairs. "Let's talk to Bill and Charlie about it, okay? I don't think I should be the only one you discuss this with."

Ginny smiled, the two knocking on their older brothers' door. "Whosit?" called Charlie, his voice muffled.

"Ginny and Percy," Ginny called back softly. "May we come in?"

"Come in," Bill said, opening the door for them. "What's going on?"

"Well," Ginny began, then noticed Charlie lying in what looked like the remains of a pillow. "What did you do?" she and Percy asked Bill at the same time, then noticing that the room was a shambles.

Bill grinned at the dazed look on Charlie's face. "Pillow fight," he said. "He's still a little cross-eyed. He fell off the bed when the pillow exploded."

Percy walked over to Charlie and helped him up as Ginny sat down on the end of the bed, unfolding the paper and looking at it. "At the end of last year, I was approached by Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, both wanting to know what electives I'm taking next year," Ginny began.

"That's right!" said Bill, sounding impressed. "You're going into third year! What _are_ you taking?"

"I'm going to take Ancient Runes and Arithmancy," Ginny answered.

Bill gave her a high five. "Awesome! So what did Madam Pomfrey want with you?"

"She told me that she'd be willing to take me on as an apprentice if that's what I decide I want to do," Ginny said in a rush, and Charlie shook his head to clear it. "She gave me this paper to sign—it's the Healer's Oath, and I'm supposed to sign it and take it before I can begin the apprenticeship at Hogwarts."

"A Healer apprenticeship?" Charlie said, sounding even more impressed than Bill had been.

"Can I see that paper?" Bill asked.

Ginny handed it over, and Bill read it silently, commenting, "You'll have to treat every person that comes to you, no matter the House, blah, blah, blah...if you can handle that and the other disgusting things that come with being a Healer in the Wizarding World, then I'd say go for it."

Charlie sighed. "Why is it that every girl I know is ambitious?"

The others laughed, and Percy said, "I told Ginny that it's a great opportunity, and that if she thinks it's for her, she should go for it."

"Charlie?" Bill asked. "What do you think?"

"I think I feel like I've got a hangover," Charlie said, and Ginny laughed all over again. "Um, just be careful, Gin. You never know what situations you'll get yourself into."

Bill handed the paper back to his sister, Summoning a quill and handing it to her. "Care to sign it now?"

Ginny glanced down at the paper, then signed it, "Ginevra Weasley." Nothing happened, and she frowned, wondering what to do, when a second line appeared below the first. Her mouth opened slightly, and she put her quill to the parchment again. _Estella Parkington_.

The parchment copied itself in her hands, and Percy raised his eyebrows at her. "Wow. They were really careful to make sure that you signed your life away."

Ginny sniffed at her brother, who grinned and slipped his arm around her, hugging her to his side. "Thanks," she told all of them. "I'll get it taken care of. And obviously, don't tell Mum and Dad. I don't want them to know yet."

"Of course not," Charlie nodded, then rubbed his forehead and swore at his older brother, who laughed.

"Thanks," Ginny said again, then hugged all three of the boys and hurried back downstairs to her room, putting the parchments into the bag she'd be carrying with her on the train.

"What did he want?" Hermione asked sleepily from her bed.

"To remind me of something I'd nearly forgotten," Ginny answered, quickly dressing for bed."

Hermione suddenly sat straight up and stared at her. "How many snakes do you _have_?"

Ginny turned, having also forgotten that all her serpents had been hidden beneath her outer robe. "Fifteen," she answered. "And they are _serpents_ , not _snakes_."

"What are you doing with them?" Hermione asked in horror. "Won't they get away from you and hurt someone, then?"

"No," Ginny answered, finally taking off her robe underneath and putting on her pajamas. "I am their mistress and I have told them they are not to attack anyone. They will obey me, Hermione—and no, I don't pay them."

The basilisks all hissed in amusement, coiling up around their mistress as she crawled into bed. Some of them were visible, around Ginny's neck and one around her wrist. Two or three peeked out from under the blanket, eyeing Hermione even as they stayed warm next to their mistress.

"Goodnight," Ginny said, then yawned and snuggled into her covers, going to sleep.

In the morning, Ginny hit Molly with her pillow when she came to wake her up. Molly snatched the pillow away from her and blasted all of the blankets off the bed, revealing fourteen furious serpents that quickly slithered into their mistress's robes. "Why don't you take those back to school and leave them there?" Molly snapped.

"I have to keep most of them with me," Ginny answered. "They've grown so much that it's hard to hide them, but I've got to keep them near. I'm responsible for them."

"If I hear that you've let them hurt _anyone_ —" Molly threatened her, then said, "Get your trunk downstairs quickly. I've already ordered three Muggle taxis, and Bill and Charlie will be accompanying us. Hurry if you want breakfast: your father has already been called into work this morning."

"I heard him," Ginny said with another yawn. "I called back. Dunno if he heard. Why'd he go in?"

"Supposedly Mad Eye had someone try to break into his house," Molly answered. "Arthur went in to work to sort it out."

Ginny yawned. "They'd have to be crazy to do that," she commented. "He's disturbed."

Hermione shook her head. "Ginny, he was one of the best Aurors of all time—"

"I know," Ginny said in annoyance, getting up as Molly left the room. "Tell me something I don't know."

"He's going to be our new DADA professor," Hermione said.

"Yesss," Ginny said softly. "He isss." She smiled at her bitemates as she dressed, not watching Hermione's face. "We're all gonna wish we had Lupin back before Christmas."

"Yes," Hermione chuckled. "Come on. Let's get downstairs and see if there's any breakfast left."

Ginny and Hermione dragged their trunks downstairs together, leaving them in the entryway as they entered the dining room and sat down to eat some toast before they left. Ginny ate quickly and hurried to hug Percy goodbye before he left for work, apologizing that he couldn't go with them to King's Cross Station to see them off to Hogwarts.

"Good luck," he murmured to her as he squeezed her tightly. "Goodbye and take good care of yourself."

"I will," she promised in a whisper, leaning up to kiss his cheek when no one was looking. "Have a good day."

Percy smiled at her, squeezed her shoulder again, then left for work. Not long after he'd left, the Muggle taxis arrived and the children took their trunks and things out into the front yard to be placed in the cars. Since it had drizzled drearily all morning, the ground outside was soaked in rainwater.

Ginny stood on the porch with Bill and Charlie, Crookshanks winding around her feet as her basilisks hissed nervously at the cat. They agreed to ride with Ginny so that Fred and George had to ride with Molly, and crawled into the cramped backseat with her when it was time.

The drive into London took a bit of time, and when they arrived, Hermione crawled out of the cab first, apologizing profusely for Crookshanks' mad cat rampage. The entire Golden Trio was sporting vivid red cat scratches, and Crookshanks' tail was still fluffed up in disapproval.

She didn't even ask, but followed the Trio through the brick wall into King's Cross, 9 ¾. Tossing her already rain-soaked hair out of her face, Ginny looked toward the train and saw the Trio already disappearing into the mist. "I'll be back to say goodbye!" she told the boys before levitating her trunk and moving toward the train.

Ginny moved quickly along the train, looking for her friends' compartment and found the Charlestons sitting with Megan, Guage, Corin, the three Lestranges, and a younger girl. "Anabella!" Ginny squealed when she recognized her. She gave the girl a big hug, then stepped back when Samantha spoke.

"I still have to go say goodbye like a good little Weasley," Ginny said in annoyance, rolling her eyes. "Do your duty, and I'll do mine." She spun around, showering them with rainwater from her hair, and stepped back onto the platform, joining the rest of the Weasleys once more.

"I might be seeing you sooner than you think," Charlie said as he hugged Ginny goodbye.

"Okay," Ginny answered with a grin as Fred asked, " _Why_?"

"You'll know soon enough," Charlie chuckled. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it. It's 'classified information until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all."

Ginny laughed, and Bill said, "I almost wish I was back at school this year. I might have to take some time off to come watch part of it."

"Part of what?" demanded George and Ron together.

"You'll find out tonight," Molly answered, shooing them before her toward the train. The three Weasley boys, Harry, and Hermione leaned out the windows to talk to her. "I'm so glad they've changed the rules."

"What rules?" asked Harry, Ron, Fred, and George at the same time.

"You'll find out," Molly told them, her eyes twinkling. "I'm sure Dumbledore will tell you. Now you'll all be good, won't you? Fred? George?"

The twins ignored her and demanded to know what was going on, but the train was speeding away and Ginny shoved them away from the window so she could wave to Bill and Charlie who were quickly disappearing from view. They disapparated as they waved, and Ginny turned from the window, heading back to her compartment.

As she walked into a compartment two or three away from hers, she charmed her hair black, and heard someone snigger. "All the seats in here are taken, Parkington. Get faster with the Charm."

Estella flung a hex at Draco, which he blocked, smirking at her. "Faster, Parkington. And don't forget that your hair is soaked. Is that from the rainwater, or the Burrow's faulty plumbing?"

Her bitemates were hissing, and Lauren was watching her, Alvin and Theo nearby. Seeing them gave her an idea, and she drew heavily on the Water Elemental. It came quickly to her since the rain was already coming down, the wet Elementals already close to them.

The compartment flooded, and Ginny was standing in three feet of water, her basilisks slithering up her body in alarm as the students in the compartment shrieked and got up on the seats and on the back of the seats. Estella chuckled, still holding the spell, but keeping it from continuing to rise. She honestly hadn't meant to cause a flood, but to put a small little raincloud over Draco until they arrived at Hogwarts.

"Estella!" Lauren said sharply, realizing that the spell was not closed and couldn't be interfered with yet. "Finish the spell!"

"I will!" she shot back, watching Draco glare at her, his robes dripping with Water. "All I have to say, Malfoy, is thanks for teaching me how to drown you!'" Laughing, she closed her hands, the magic crackling into place, and immediately, Lauren began to try to figure out how to dispel the Water. Estella left the compartment, but the water remained behind her, trapped in some sort of ward.

She finally reached the compartment where she was to sit and sank onto a bench beside Anabella, across from Meris, Karntaan, and Rohan. "Malfoy's drowning," she said vaguely, "if anyone wants to save him."

"What!?" gasped Megan.

"Really!?" Karnt said, looking at her in excitement. "Is he up train or down train?"

"Back the way I came," Estella shrugged. "Can you swim? The water's over your head."

"What did you do?" Samantha laughed as Karnt nodded and charged out of the room, his twin after him.

Estella grinned. "My Water Elemental got a little out of hand. I tried to make it rain on Draco and I ended up flooding the compartment because we're so close to the Water Elemental already."

Meris shook his head at her and Megan looked annoyed. "Why?" she said. "What'd he ever do to you?"

"Don't even ask her a question like that," Meris told the redhead. "She was raised as a Weasley. Of course Draco's going to be an arse to her."

"Hmph," said Megan, getting up and leaving the compartment.

"I'm so good at making people mad," Estella fumed.

"I'm not mad," Corin, Meris, and Anabella shrugged at the same time. The Charleston twins laughed.

Guage rolled her eyes at them. "You should know better than to say things like that about Draco in front of Megan."

Estella huffed, stroking one of her basilisks, and Meris said, "She'll be okay, Stel. She's probably just worried that you were serious about drowning him."

"I would never do that," she sighed. "Ever. His mother loves him." She sighed, and everyone laughed.

"Did I hear someone mention Malfoy's drowning?" The compartment door swung open and Ron poked his head into their compartment, Hermione whispering frantically in the background.

"Yes, but we're sure he'll survive," Estella answered.

"Too bad," Ron said. "Didn't work? Are you going to try again?"

Estella gave him an appraising look, then smirked and motioned to herself. "This assassin is not for hire, Weasley," she told him firmly, leaning back against the back of the bench. "As if _you_ could afford it anyway."

Ron's ears turned red, and he backed out of the compartment, nearly slamming the door. Meris stared at the dark-haired girl in surprise as the Charleston twins laughed. "I can't believe you just said that," Meris told her.

"I can't either," she answered ruefully. "Blame it on Malfoy."

"Ssstel," came Ana's quiet voice.

"Bitemate!" all of Estella's bitemates hissed at once, and Basari poked her head out of Ana's sleeve, slithering down her arm and onto her mistress's lap.

Estella allowed the basilisks to slither into her lap, all inspecting their returned bitemate happily. She glanced up, hearing the Sage basilisks hissing, "Missstress, Massster, may we sssee Basari's other bitematesss?"

Corin and Anabella glanced over at Estella, and she gave a half-shrug. "Yesss," the two Sages hissed as one. "Go ssswiftly and return sssoon. Our nestmate will return and may attack the fourth ssspeaker."

Corin's two basilisks and Ana's basilisk joined the fifteen Parkington basilisks in Estella's lap. Leaning over his sister, Corin said, "Mine are Denistra, the bluish-green one, and Demalis, the blue-silver one."

Ana smiled down at her silver-scaled basilisk. "Iris isss mine," she hissed softly, proudly.

Estella touched them gently, hearing them hiss softly before slithering up her hand and arm to her neck. "Welcome," she said, lowering her eyes as her own basilisks hurried to reclaim their places on her body.

"We are nestmatesss," hissed the blue-silver basilisk, Demalis. "From the big nessst. But not bitematesss. Massster'sss sssire saysss."

"Missstress's sssire greetsss the one with ssseventeen bitematesss," Iris told Estella, her forked tongue touching the girl's ear. "He saysss to be careful, _tsez_."

"Thanksss," Estella whispered, almost biting her lip. She was pleased at his kindness, and that he'd remembered her. No doubt he knew she was there because of the three Sage basilisks that were around her neck.

She turned to Corin and his sister, asking, "How can the basilisssks be nestmatesss and not bitematesss?"

Anabella smiled. "All the basilisssks were originally from the Parkington basilisssks, just asss the Sssage line came from the Parkington line. Ssso, we are all nestmatesss, but we are not all bonded. You and your bitematesss are bonded, and we are bonded to the Sssage basilisssks."

"Dad saysss there might come a time when we'll have to be in more specific communication with you," Corin told her, "but until he saysss, we're not bitematesss." Corin and Anabella laughed together at an unspoken joke.

"Also," Ana added, "you do have a sssmall connection to Megan through Icythan. She saysss that Sssisha and Icythan did pre-bonding bitesss, ssso you do have that."

Estella was about to speak when she heard raised voices behind the wall, in the next compartment. A familiar voice said coolly, "For the first and last time in your life, Weasley." She froze in fury, realizing that Draco was next door, most likely with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Another familiar voice spoke. "Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy."

Draco ignored Harry and said, "Weasley...what is _that_?" There was the sound of quick movement, and then Draco said, "Look at this! Weasley, you weren't thinking of _wearing_ these, were you? I mean—they were very fashionable in about eighteen-ninety..."

Ron shouted in annoyance, and Draco howled with laughter, asking, "So...going to enter, Weasley? Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know...you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won—I suppose _you_ will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?"

Brianna began to say something, but Estella hushed her, listening intently as Hermione snapped at Draco, who laughed delightedly. "Don't tell me you don't _know_? _My_ father told me about it ages ago—"

Estella scowled at the door, and all her basilisks began to hiss for permission to _sissshausss_ Draco. "Sssage basilisssks, _leave me!_ " she commanded furiously, then stood up, tossing her hair as she charmed it red. Her bitemates slithered back into her robes as she drew her wand and threw open the compartment door.

"Nobody gives a damn about your father, Draco," she said coldly, and every Gryffindor in the compartment, which (to her slight horror) included Neville, Dean, and Seamus, looked at her in surprise. "Grow up."

"Do I see a wand?" Draco pretended to be surprised. "Are you threatening me?"

"Only if you're looking for trouble," Ginny answered, looking straight into his eyes. "I can give it to you."

Crabbe and Goyle whooped stupidly, and three students appeared behind them in the doorway. Megan and the two dark-haired boys stopped behind Draco and his goons, looking around before raising their eyebrows at Ginny as she moved closer to Draco.

Malfoy looked down into her eyes and murmured, "Oh, I am trouble, Ginevra." She smiled, and he stepped closer to her, making her raise an eyebrow. "Are you nervous?"

"No, but you should be," she answered softly, barely moving her lips. "Next time, I'll use Fire. Do you like playing with Fire, young Malfoy?"

"Don't you dare give me that talk," he hissed, lowering his voice so that no one else would hear him.

"Are you nervous?" she asked him, tilting her head and smirking. "Perhaps you should stop now. Just remember: you can escape chains and prison by not being a wanted wizard. A friend told me that—she's an Auror."

"You were told not to say _anything_ about _her_ —" Draco nearly spat at her, and Ginny could see that she was getting to him finally.

Ginny stepped closer so that they were directly face-to-face. "Who's gonna hex me for it? You?" She touched her wandtip to his side and he froze slightly, his eyes dark. "Your mum isn't here to save you, Draco. I've told you: you've got to stop hiding behind your parents because one day, they won't be able to help you. Now why don't you leave before these Gryffs realize I'm holding you at wandpoint?"

Draco gave her a specific look and said, "I owe you a Curse, Ginevra." He turned and walked past Megan, shoving the Lestrange twins out of the way. Both twins swore at him in French, but he didn't turn around. Crabbe and Goyle hurried after him.

Megan swept past Ginny, heading back into her compartment, and the Lestrange twins moved to do the same, but Hermione said, "You're the Lestrange twins, aren't you?"

"Yes," Karnt answered in a stronger French accent than Ginny'd ever heard him use. "And you are the Granger girl. You probably shouldn't talk to us. We're not nice people." He and Rohan walked into the next compartment, leaving everyone to stare at Ginny.

"You—how did you do that?" Ron, Dean, and Seamus demanded at the same time. "Mum would disapprove—" Ron added, and Ginny smirked, almost exactly as Draco had.

"She isn't here, is she?" Ginny said firmly. "And you never mind that, either, so don't you talk to me about it."

"You called him by his first name!" Neville said in slight horror.

Ron rolled his eyes. "She knows almost all of the Slytherins by their first names," he said carelessly, hiding his ugly dress robes. "Including Malfoy and those Lestranges. And all those girls that came through here earlier. She was writing to them during the summer."

Ginny managed a small smile. "I don't have that much communication with the Malfoy prince, but I can call him whatever I want, especially if it annoys him. Most of the time I let him talk, but—I could hear him through the wall, for goodness' sake. Anyway. Have a good rest of the ride, all of you." She waved, then joined Megan and the others back in the compartment.

She charmed her hair back to black and sat down silently next to Corin, staring out the window without speaking. Megan still looked upset, and the Lestranges had decided not to try to talk to her. The Charlestons were giggling with their heads together, and Ginny bit her lip.

Estella didn't have anyone to protect her now that Percy had graduated. All she had was herself and her wand. And now Draco wanted to Curse her because she'd hated to hear him taunt Ron about their family. She wouldn't do anything else, but—

"Essstella?" said Sebring softly. "Your presence isss required asss sssoon asss possible."

"Okay," she whispered, and the three Sages looked at her, but she didn't look back.

Later that evening, the train rolled into the Hogsmeade station, and Meris sighed. "Still raining," he said. "Torrential buckets."

Megan joined him at the window, and Guage looked over her shoulder. "Great. We'll be soaked before we can reach the carriages. Thank goodness we don't have to get our own trunks."

When the train was fully halted, Estella left the train, waterproofing spells on her hair and robes. She stopped stock still and someone ran into her. "Go on," Meris told her. "It's pouring ice out here!"

"What are those?" Ginny asked, pointing toward the carriages.

"Carriages, Parkington?" Meris asked with a chuckle. "Haven't you seen them before? I'm the second year here."

"No, I mean, what's pulling them?" Estella said in confusion and slight horror as one of the creatures seemed to look at her.

Meris frowned. "There's nothing there, Estella. Come on."

Estella huffed at him, and one of her bitemates hissed uncomfortably, "They are creaturesss of death, Missstress. Symbolsss of death."

"Symbols of death?" Estella said in English, and Meris raised an eyebrow.

"Parkington, _move_ ," he said sharply. "I'm sure you can find an explanation to whatever you think you're seeing when it's _not_ raining. Speaking of Nott—"

"Parkington," said a quiet voice, and Estella turned to see Theodore Nott standing behind her, Malfoy and his group coming on behind him. "Draco really is planning to hurt you." He turned to leave, then said, "By the way, those creatures are called Thestrals."

Theo moved to join the others again and Meris caught Estella by the sleeve, half dragging her toward a carriage. No one else joined them for a while, and then a Hufflepuff prefect looked in on them.

"Hello," said the prefect. "Mind if we join you? We just want some quiet and a halfway private ride."

"All right," Ginny and Meris agreed together, and the boy and his girlfriend climbed into the carriage.

Estella was very quiet on the ride through Hogsmeade, barely looking out the window at the dreary world of rain. Meris glanced at her from time to time, but kept from speaking until they were almost at the Hogwarts gates. "Stel," he began uneasily, "it was really nice that you stood up for the Weasleys, but—Draco's going to kill you."

She shook her head. "He can't. We've got Mad Eye Moody teaching us Defense this year."

Meris swore just like his cousins. "I forgot about that," he said, "but that won't stop Draco. You know him: he can't keep his mouth shut for two minutes. He's kind of like our aunt Bellatrix. He'll probably get in big trouble one day for running his mouth."

"Probably," she chuckled, then shivered as an icy wind blew through their carriage. To her complete shock, she felt Meris slip his arm around her, adjusting his cloak to cover her as well. "It's not that bad," she said, and he shrugged, but didn't move.

She sat there for a while longer, then relaxed slightly, Meris' arm around her. The two Hufflepuffs were cuddling on the other side of the carriage, and Estella couldn't help but feel very nervous in comparison of her own situation.

"You didn't do Drying Charms," Meris commented to her. "Did you really waterproof your hair? It's soaked."

"Yes," Estella began, reaching up just as Meris did the same. Their hands closed on each other's, magic crackling between them. "Oh," she gasped, feeling another magic rush through her body for several long seconds before Meris pulled his hand away, sucking in his breath. "Why did that happen?" she asked him.

"I think you still have some residual magic from that spell you did on the train," Meris told her, looking down at his hands. "And we were both going to do the same drying spell, so when our hands touched...our magic combined."

"Shared magic?" she asked curiously, softly enough that the Hufflepuffs couldn't hear her.

Meris nodded without looking at her. "Your hair was soaked with the Water Elemental. I guess you didn't release all of it when you did the spell earlier, and now we've both made it worse."

He smiled wryly when she glanced at him, but he didn't look up. Meris rubbed his arms, first one and then the other, releasing the excess magic back into the rain and water. Estella copied him, releasing the magic as well, but wondering why Meris wasn't as worried about his magic as Draco had been about his.

"At least it didn't make us sick," she shrugged. "The first time I accidentally did something like this, it made both of us ill."

"That means that your magic is too alike or too different to be compatible," Meris told her casually. "I guess we're more than compatible, because it wasn't terrible."

 _It actually felt_ good, Ginny thought to herself, feeling her ears burn slightly. "I guess," she agreed, very relieved when the carriages rolled up to the stone steps and passengers began to disembark, hurrying up the steps into the castle. "Let's hurry!" she said, jumping up before the carriage had rolled to a stop.

When the carriage did stop, Estella fell forward and landed directly in the Hufflepuff prefect's lap. "Oh Merlin!" she said, her face and ears burning red. "I'm so sorry!" She grabbed up her bag and practically jumped out of the carriage, Meris scrambling after her.

"Don't you even say anything!" she hissed at Meris, pointing her finger at his face.

"I wasn't," he said quickly. "I won't. It's okay."

They began to climb the steps together, and someone behind them shouted, "Hey, Meris, Estella, wait up!" They turned to see Karntaan and Rohan hurrying up the steps after them, trying to catch up.

The two waited for the Lestrange twins, and the boys were chuckling when they reached them. "Did you really fall in that boy's lap?" Rohan asked her, and she rolled her eyes at him. "You did throw yourself on someone!"

Estella glared at him from a few steps up. "It was an accident, Lestrange," she said coldly. "For goodness' sake, stop it. I don't go throwing myself at Hufflepuffs on purpose."

The three Lestranges laughed at her statement and scrambled up the last few steps into the Entrance Hall. One of them gave a warning shout and they all jumped apart as a water balloon exploded between them. "Peeves!" howled Karntaan and Rohan as one. They whirled, drawing their wands and flashing a spell at Peeves, who howled when it hit him, dropping the other balloons and fleeing the scene.

The boys dived out of the way of the balloons and escaped into the hall. Estella looked over at Professor McGonagall and bit her lip, seeing the witch heading toward her. "Ms. Parkington," she said briskly, "if you've got that paper for me, you may bring it by my office after the feast."

"Yes, Professor," she answered, then hurried after the boys into the hall, Draco and his group close behind her. She found the Lestrange cousins along the Slytherin House table and sat down next to Meris, grinning across him at the twins. "What'd you do to Peeves? I didn't know that you could hex a ghost."

"Most spells don't work," Rohan shrugged, "but there are a few that you could look to. You probably don't know any of them. Except maybe _Crucio_."

"Ooh!" Estella said, raising an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"Read it somewhere?" Meris asked them.

Karnt nodded, and Estella laughed. "Sure you did," she said, and the twins merely shrugged.

The doors to the Great Hall opened and McGonagall walked in, leading a long line of shivering, blue-lipped First Years up toward the front, by the Sorting Hat. Estella watched them walk, picking out Anabella, who looked very, very cold, and wondered how she and Iris had done out on the lake.

A second later, the smallest first year, who was swallowed in some sort of huge fur something, grinned toward the Gryffindor House table and flashed someone two thumbs-up. _I fell in the lake!_ Estella saw him mouth to someone.

Glancing toward the Gryffindor House table herself, Estella saw one of the boys from her year laughing in amusement and a horrible thought struck her. "Oh no!" she gasped.

"What's wrong now, Parkington?" came a cold sneering voice from the other side of the table.

"Remember that kid with the camera from two years ago?" Estella asked without looking at Draco. "The one that worshiped Potter?"

"Everyone worships Potter," Draco spat at her.

"Wow, Draco," Estella smirked. "What a confession! Your father will hear about this." The Lestrange twins roared with laughter, and Meris smiled slightly. "Anyway, about the kid. I think Gryffindor's getting little brother tonight! Then they'll have _two_ Creepies. Horrors."

"Mudbloods," Draco corrected her.

Estella rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever." She turned back to watch the Sorting, and shook her head as Dennis Creevey, as the boy's name was, ran down to the Gryffindor table to join his brother.

Moments later, a Graham Pritchard was Sorted to Slytherin and the House table exploded into cheers, Draco grinning and glancing down the table at one of the older prefects. Estella knew that this must be Owen Pritchard's little brother. _Everyone's little brothers and sisters are being Sorted,_ she mused as she cheered for Anabella, Corin and Megan shouting out to her in Parseltongue.

Two or three first years later, Dumbledore stood up and said, "I've only got two words to say."

"Then say them and let us eat, old man," Draco said irritably.

" _Tuck in!_ " Dumbledore called, and Estella heard Harry and Ron shout, "Hear, hear!" from all the way across the Hall. She avoided Draco's gaze.

Estella ate hungrily, not paying attention to anyone else as she transfigured food for her basilisks. After a moment, there was a commotion across the Hall, and Draco was laughing. "Someone acting stupid, Malfoy?" she asked him conversationally.

"The Mudblood just spilled her drink all over," he said, and Estella raised an eyebrow. "She's disturbed about something, I think."

"Taunting you about Hermione is below me," Estella sighed, "but, Draco darling, stalking Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger should be below _you_. You should enjoy your food and think about the First Night Party."

"Still telling Draco what to do!" came Pansy's shrill voice. "You _deserved_ —"

"I thought someone should," Estella answered. "Lord knows his daddy isn't here to knock him in the head with his cane."

The Lestranges didn't comment at all, and Pansy glared at her. "You've been contacting that—"

"Parkinson," said Estella in a very deadly tone, "unless the communication between our families is very, very bad, you know I answered directly to the source for that, which I had no control over." She stopped Pansy's next comment, saying, "And you have no control over who I contact. That's _my_ choice. And if you Curse me, so what? All your curses do is push me away. So no. It's not working. Stop it."

"Hush," Lauren said, who had been walking along the table to get to them. "Do we have a problem, Draco...Estella...Pansy?"

Pansy looked up at their older cousin. "Estella is—"

Dumbledore got up to speak, and Lauren hushed them all again, hurrying back to her seat beside Alvin. Draco and Pansy continued to glare at Estella as Dumbledore went on about the common rules and only began to pay attention when he shocked the entire school by saying: "It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

Draco looked stunned, and there were gasps from all over the Hall. "Something had to give," Pansy murmured, trying to keep Draco calm.

"I'm going to _kill_ him," Draco hissed through his teeth. "This doesn't have to happen!"

Estella was busy listening to Dumbledore's lengthy explanation when the door to the Great Hall banged open, someone entering, wearing a traveling cloak. "Oh, Merlin," she squeaked, and felt the Lestranges move closer together, Meris' arm pressing against hers.

Everyone watched the stranger, who was leaning upon a staff. He lowered his hood and shook down his dark grey hair before thumping, every other step, up to the teacher's table. Lightning flashed across the sky outside, reflected in the roof, and lit up the stranger's face.

Estella gaped in horror. The man's face was so heavily scarred, it seemed to be almost inhuman. Part of his nose was missing and—Estella almost gasped again. One of his eyes was an electric blue, a magical eye, she realized, and almost wanted to try to hide from it. Undoubtedly it was a special Ministry-issued eye. Sickened, she looked away a minute, then back again, seeing the man shake hands with Dumbledore.

She felt Meris reach over and take her hand, squeezing it. "Shh," he told her softly, and she only just realized she'd been frantically whispering to herself in Parseltongue.

The eye never stopped moving. It rolled all around in its socket, looking everywhere around the Hall, including behind the man, and all everyone else could see was the white of the magic eye. Estella felt cold all over, and shivered slightly as the man sat down and began to eat, not using the silverware that was set at the table, but using a knife that he'd taken from his own pocket.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Dumbledore said, breaking the silence. "Professor Moody." Only he and Hagrid clapped, none of the others seeming too keen on welcoming such a strange-looking person to Hogwarts. The clapping quickly died away, and Dumbledore went on to explain what he'd been going on about before Mad Eye Moody had arrived.

"—Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly, and Estella saw Malfoy smirking across the Hall at her brothers. She scowled at the table before her and felt Meris squeeze her hand again.

"I am _not_ joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar..."

McGonagall cleared her throat, and Dumbledore got back on track. He explained that there would be three schools competing, represented by three champions in three different tasks. "We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger."

"Oh, really," Ginny scoffed. "As if _he_ could ensure anyone's safety."

"Truest thing you've said all day," Draco said to her, and Estella chuckled, amused that they could agreed to diss Dumbledore, if nothing else.

Dumbledore announced that there would be an age restriction on the contest, and Fred and George Weasley howled in outrage. "Oh, great," Estella sighed. "They're not seventeen until April. Cheers. Dumbledore's infuriated Fred and George."

The Headmaster went on about supporting the Hogwarts champion, whatever House he or she was from, and also mentioned giving the students of the other two schools, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, full welcome and hospitality when they arrived. "Where are these schools, again?" Estella asked no one in particular.

Karntaan turned to her excitedly. "Beauxbatons is in France, obviously," he told her. "Can't spell something that way and have it _not_ be in France. Durmstrang is up north somewhere. Don't know exactly where, but I know it gets really cold where they are."

"Look, Stel," Meris said, finally releasing her hand stealthily. "The Weasley twins look like they want to murder Dumbledore too. You could collaborate with them, Draco."

"Don't be ridiculous," Draco told the oldest Lestrange cousin. "They're going to try to get across the age line. Make sure you get to see that, Estella."

"Will do," she shrugged, then got up from the table. "See you all in a little while."

"I'll come with you," Meris said, and Draco looked suspicious.

Estella shrugged. "You can if you want. I've got to stop at Professor McGonagall's office, and then I might have to stop somewhere else along the way as well."

Meris nodded in agreement as Estella's bitemates took their places on her body once more. The two started off toward McGonagall's office, Estella leading the way because Meris didn't know where the office was. "Hope you don't mind...I've got to charm my hair," she said, waiting until the hall was clear before quickly doing so. "I'll probably be a few minutes, too. She might want to talk to me about it a little."

The boy agreed, and Ginny knocked on the office door, hearing the Gryffindor Head of House call, "Enter!"

Ginny opened the door and stepped into the office, approaching the desk after she'd shut the door. "I have the paper for you," she said quietly, pulling it out of her bag and looking it over before offering it to her professor. "Was there anything else I needed to do? Besides take the other paper to Madam Pomfrey, I mean."

"Sit down a minute, Ms. Weasley," said Professor McGonagall. Ginny sat. "Professor Dumbledore admonished me to remind you that since we are hosting the Triwizard Tournament, you will not only be assisting with students of all Houses, but also of all schools. Does this information disturb you?"

"If I become a fully certified Healer later in life, I will be working with all nationalities, and all spectrums of people," Ginny answered. "I might as well get some experience now."

"Excellent," said Professor McGonagall. "Here is your schedule for the year. You are to go give the copy to Madam Pomfrey, along with the signed paper that you brought back to us. She will let you know the times to join her in the Hospital Wing and all."

"Thanks—" Ginny began, but the older witch interrupted.

"We will be keeping a close eye on your classwork and averages to make sure that you can handle it all," Professor McGonagall told her. "Your extracurricular activities will cease immediately if you do not keep up. You must understand that this apprenticeship is a privilege that few students receive."

Ginny nodded and Professor McGonagall congratulated her once more, then sent her from the room. Ginny took the charm off her hair as soon as she left the office, then joined Meris. "We've got to stop in at the Hospital Wing," she told him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she said with a grin. "Don't you remember what I told you and the boys at the end of last year? I'm going to take up a Healer's apprenticeship here at Hogwarts."

"Oh, yeah," Meris said, nodding. "That should be interesting."

"Yeah," Estella agreed slowly as they headed for the Hospital Wing. "I really want to be able to do some good in the world. Instead of hurting people all the time, or upsetting people."

"Good ambition," Meris told her. "Perhaps a little hard to achieve in light of the future."

Estella sighed, then glanced over at him as his arm brushed hers. "I don't know what to do," she whispered. "I'm learning more and more that no place is safe, and that I can't trust anyone, and that I'm just on my own."

He looked at her, then said, "I hope you can trust me. I mean, I wish you would. You're the nicest girl that Slytherin's got, Stel."

"And I'm a horrible person," she said wryly.

"Don't talk that way about yourself," he said firmly, and she drew a quick breath as he slipped his arm around her waist.

"You have usss," hissed Nephisi. "And now thisss _tsez_. Share magic?"

"That wasss not supposed to happen," Estella hissed back. "No!"

Meris glanced at her body, but none of the bitemates were visible. "Do they want to eat me again?"

Estella giggled, walking closer to Meris for convenience' sake. "No. They want us to share magic." The boy coloured slightly, more nervous than he had been. When the two arrived at the Hospital Wing, Estella went directly to the office, Madam Pomphrey presently having no residents in the Wing.

"Ah, Parkington," Madam Pomfrey said, looking up from a cauldron she was stirring. "I wondered if you would turn up this evening. Have you decided yet?"

"I have," she said, presenting the papers that McGonagall had told her to.

"Did your friend need something?" she asked Estella.

The dark-haired girl glanced back at Meris. "He volunteered to come with me because I think we're going to walk down to the Common Room together afterward."

The matron smiled. "He can join us, if he so wishes," she said. "I've got to explain some things to you, and make up your schedule, so you might not be up here for a week or so."

Meris came into the room quietly, standing in the background without a sound. Madam Pomfrey added some kind of powder to the cauldron and continued stirring, her wand suddenly things flying into action all over the office. Very quickly, some herbs were being ground to a finer powder at a mortal and pestle, a large jar of some sort of potion was being poured into smaller vials, and two chairs appeared.

"Sit down," she told them. "Unless, of course, you'd prefer to stand. You _have_ been sitting almost all day. Anyway, Estella, when I have the schedule finished, you will arrive here and come straight to this office. You'll take the Healer's Oath in front of several of the staff, and I'll be setting you some duties."

"All right," Ginny nodded. "When do you think the schedule should be done?"

"Two or three days," Madam Pomfrey said. "Check sooner if you wish. I think I'll give you a week or so to adjust to your new classes before we do anything too lengthy, though. Very good. You are dismissed. Just make sure that you don't make too much work for yourself, Estella."

The girl chuckled as she and Meris left the Hospital Wing. "She's warning me not to hex anyone I wouldn't want to heal," Ginny grinned. "Well, that's thoughtful. Unfortunately, at some point, someone's going to make me so mad I won't care if I end up having to take care of them later."

Meris smiled as they headed down into the dungeons. "You're unique, Stel," he said in amusement. "That's for sure."

She didn't reply, and when the two entered the Common Room, they saw that the First Night Party was already in full swing. Several students were playing games, including Lauren and Alvin in Quit, and Pansy in Truth or Dare. Pansy was the queen of Truth or Dare, Ginny recalled. She sat down near those that were playing Quit, and watched them battle back and forth.

Meris joined her, but stayed apart from her, leaning against the opposite arm of the couch they were sitting on. Meris' cousins sat down between them moments later, both chuckling. "What've you done?" Meris asked them suspiciously.

"Tracey just told everyone playing Truth or Dare that her summer boyfriend was a half-blood," Karnt chuckled.

"And that's funny?" Estella asked.

The Lestrange twins glanced at each other. "It was for us. Hey, Meris, come play Quit with us." Meris got up and joined his cousins, leaving Estella alone on the couch, her bitemates hissing that it was cold.

She did a Warming Charm on her robe, and the basilisks hissed appreciatively. A second later, Anabella walked up and sat down next to Estella, grinning a little. "Hi!" Estella hissed softly. "Welcome to Hogwartsss."

"Thanksss," Ana answered, blushing a little. "I'm thrilled that I'm finally at Hogwarts, after all my cousins and brother and all."

"And Aria's by herself at home, isn't she?" asked the dark-haired girl, nodding understandingly.

"Well, she'sss got Mother and Father, and the other six bitematesss," Ana answered with a shrug. "So Corin, Megan, and I can talk to her whenever we want."

A boy whose brown hair was grown past his ears sat down on the other side of Ana, looking at the two of them. He greeted them, "Hello. I hear that you two are Parselmouths, obviously, and I know that you—" he indicated Anabella "are a Sage, but who are you?"

The dark-haired girl looked him over for a second, replying, "I am Estella Parkington. Who are you?"

"I am Malcolm Baddock," he replied. "First Year, of course."

"Parkington," came Draco's lazy drawl, "you should be very careful who you associate with...even in Slytherin."

"I am," she told him, glancing up as Draco leaned casually against the back of the couch. "That's why you and I don't get along."

"Some bloodlines are more pure than others," Draco murmured so that each person on the one couch alone could hear him. "You should be careful whom you choose to talk to."

Estella scowled at him, but Malcolm beat her to the reply. "If you're talking about me, Malfoy, I do believe you've got me, Malcolm, confused with Melvin, my uncle."

The dark-haired girl gave him a curious, surprised expression. "Melvin? Wasn't he here ten years ago? In the 80s?"

Draco, Malcolm, and Ana all gave her surprised looks. "Yes," Malcolm said. "But why should you care?"

"My brothers went to school with him," Estella answered. "And I have another friend who used to know him."

Lauren and Alvin joined them, also leaning against the back of the couch. "Everyone knew him because he was dating Castella," Lauren sighed. "It was a terrible shock when everyone found out he _wasn't_ a pureblood. I wonder if that's why Castella disappeared. I'd be ashamed too."

Estella was shocked at Lauren's words and got to her feet, biting her lip as she walked away, heading for the door of the Common Room. Draco called after her, "Hey, Parkington...don't like the conversation?"

"Sod off, Malfoy!" she called back without turning around. Estella left the Common Room and headed for the Chamber of Secrets, going to meet her parents, as the bitematesss had told her they wanted. She walked through the main entrance of the Chamber, greeting the basilisk sentries as the gates opened before her.

"Estella!" came her father's voice, and before she could reply, he had stepped forward and embraced her.

"Reginald, let go of her," Meretta said in disapproval. "Estella—" she seemed to be unable to find the right words to say and just shook her head.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked them, almost timidly.

Reginald nodded. "Let's go sit down where it's more comfortable," he told his daughter and his wife. They all sat down together, Estella half lying down with her head in her father's lap as the Parkington basilisks slithered all over the two Parselmouths excitedly.

He smiled down at her and Meretta said sharply, "Reginald!"

"I'll get to it," he reassured her, carefully resting his left arm on Estella's back. The man finally said, "We've been watching you, as I'm sure you've done to others. We saw that on the Hogwarts Express, you really pissed off the Malfoy boy."

"Isn't that between me and him?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Meretta smirked. "Until one of you gets hurt. There is just this: you became someone you are _not_ in order to defeat him! If you can't properly best him as yourself, then you and I need to do some intense training, Estella." The woman huffed, looking away from her husband and daughter. "I would tell you not to defend the Weasleys, but it seems you're beginning to learn that on your own...you certainly shamed the littlest one when you told him that you weren't for hire!"

Estella bit her lip, refusing to upset her mother once again. She wanted their time together this first evening back at Hogwarts to be peaceful. After a moment, she remembered something, and asked, "What are those creatures that pull the Hogwarts carriages? And can you tell me about shared magic? And wandless magic?"

"Those creatures are called Thestrals," her father told her. "They are a symbol, a reminder of death, because no one can see Thestrals until they've seen someone die and accepted it."

"But I can see them, and I haven't watched anyone die," Ginny said, puzzled.

"Ah," said her father softly. "But you did see...through the bitemates. That Auror..." Ginny went limp, and the man sighed, rubbing his left hand over her back. "Why do you care so much, sweetling?" he murmured.

She tensed, then sat up and looked into his eyes with a pained expression. "His daughter has no father," she whispered, her hands taking hold of his. "Do you understand why I care? He had a family, and now, they don't have him."

Meretta raised an eyebrow. "But you must have accepted that if you can see those Thestrals, Estella. Even if you see someone die, you have to accept it before you can actually see those creatures."

Estella lay down again, sighing as her father gave her a little hug. "I didn't accept it," she said. "But there's nothing I can do. It's done. There's no changing it."

Her basilisks slithered back to their mistress, and she reassured them that she wasn't upset, but noticed that Levir and Lises remained silent around her father's neck and arm. Reginald Parkington said quietly, "I've got to check on some things before the end of the night, so why don't you and your mother have a conversation about shared magic and wandless magic for a little while? Let me know before you leave."

"Okay," she promised, sitting up. He kissed her forehead, then rose from the couch and left the room. Estella turned to her mother questioningly, saying, "I've only had two experiences with shared magic—and I didn't mean to do it either time. But both times, it was different."

"Tell me about them," Meretta said, drawing her feet up onto the couch and conjuring a warm blanket, which she wrapped around herself.

"Well," Estella began, biting her lip, "when I was with the Malfoys, Draco and I were playing Quit and I accidentally touched him. And he yelled at me before running off to his mum. It made us both sick, and Cissa said it was because Draco and I are incompatible."

Meretta smirked at her daughter. "Your magics are. And you seem to be unable to get along with him, as well. You should be as amiable as possible toward him, because you are an eligible pureblood girl, Estella."

Estella sputtered in disbelief. "I'd rather have a Hufflepuff!" she said firmly. "And I could never be Lady Malfoy. I don't have the patience, or the long-suffering, so they'd better not try to match me up with him. I'd go into hiding. Permanently."

Laughing, Meretta clapped her hands in amusement. "So as to the magic between you and Draco...it wasn't exactly shared magic because you two didn't do it on purpose. Actually, it would have been more like foreign magic injected into your body, causing your own magic to fight it. Especially if Draco immediately rejected the magic, it would have been a painful shock to both of you. What about the second time you accidentally shared magic?"

"Oh..." Estella blushed slightly "it was earlier today, when Meris and I were riding in the carriage to Hogwarts from the train. I was cold, so he put his arm and cloak around me. Then, he told me that my hair was still soaked from the spell I'd done to Draco's compartment...he was going to dry my hair, and so was I, but we touched our hands together, and—"

Her ears turned red, and she blushed furiously. "It felt a lot better than Draco's magic," she muttered, half hiding her face from her mother. "I couldn't let go of him, but he finally pulled his hand away—oh, Mum, do you think that we..."

Meretta smiled condescendingly. "Don't think that you've fallen in love merely because you shared magic," she warned her daughter. "Sharing magic is usually fun, especially in lonely, dark places." Estella was almost disappointed, but nodded, giving a small shiver. "Are you cold?" Meretta asked. "Come here."

The woman pulled back her blanket and motioned her daughter to move over. Estella scooted closer to her mother until she was almost sitting on her mother's lap, the blanket wrapped around both of them. The girl snuggled as close to her mother as sitting beside her would allow, her head against the front of the woman's robes. "Thanks," she murmured gratefully.

"As to wandless magic," Meretta said quietly, her arms stealing shyly around her daughter, "it is usually Elementals, and if it is not, it is impossible to control and very harmful to anyone who does it. The four Elementals are Fire, Wind, Earth, and Water, and they may be used separately, or in combination."

"I think I've only used Fire and Water," Estella mused, glancing up at her mother's face. "Draco complained about me using Fire when we played Quit. Do you think he's afraid of Fire?"

"Perhaps," the woman nodded. "He does seem like the kind of child that would have a lot of fears. But you have used Earth, haven't you? It's usually the first Elemental that Slytherins use to teach Quit, or wandless magic at all."

"I...guess," Ginny agreed with a yawn. "Megan and Guage taught me first year. I didn't even know what Quit was, and I didn't remember how to do wandless magic...at least, not on purpose. Then playing Quit broke my Memory Charms, and I remembered way more than I really ever wanted to."

Meretta's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you remember about your life before...the Burrow?" She said the word quickly, as if it hurt her.

Ginny thought a moment, then replied, "I remember one time when Father was gone for several days...but he returned and said that you had to leave Britain for a time. You asked him to give you until I was two years old because you had things you wanted me to know in case we didn't meet again before the Dark Lord's return."

The girl shivered, feeling her mother smile against her hair. Meretta murmured, "Do you remember what I taught you...any of it?"

"You taught me how to carry myself and to walk as a pureblood ought," Estella answered. "I remember most of the spells you taught me, and also, some of the wandless magic you taught me to do...it's still difficult for me to control because I obviously haven't been practicing since I was three or so."

"Any specific curses?"

" _Crucio_ ," Estella whispered immediately. "I put it to use, too...used it on Ron in front of the entire family. That's why I lost myself." Her mother squeezed her firmly, and she pressed her face into her mother's robe, hoping she wouldn't be told to 'grow up,' or something equally uncaring.

A warm hand awkwardly patted, then rubbed her back, and Meretta muttered, "Well, that's over, child. Perhaps you and I should meet a few more times to make sure you remember your lessons well. There are things that I was remiss in teaching you."

Estella nodded, biting her lip, and Meretta hugged her carefully. "Another time," she said, and Estella sighed softly, relaxing into her real mother's arms.

Quite a bit later that night, Reginald tired of waiting on his wife and daughter to call him back to them and went to check on them. He gave a warning knock, then entered the room.

Meretta was sitting curled up on the couch, holding their daughter and—Reginald came closer to them. "Meretta?" he said softly, coming to stand by her. He had never seen her shake so hard before, not even under _Crucio_. When she lifted her face without looking at him, he realized that she was sobbing, her chest heaving as she refused to let any sound escape her.

He reached out and placed his hand on his wife's shoulder, squeezing it before slipping his arm around her. Beginning to speak, he was silenced by her upraised hand. "She—she's asleep," Meretta whispered, gulping back sobs as she tried to speak.

"Yes," he murmured, kneeling next to his wife. "Did something happen? What's wrong, Mere?"

"She...she fell asleep in my arms," choked the girl's mother, then leaning her head against her daughter's and closing her eyes, tears running down her face even faster. "Like she did ten years ago. Reg, I've missed so much...I've failed her so badly..."

Reginald squeezed her gently, patting her back a couple times before sitting beside them on the floor. "We've done our best, Love. It isn't your fault—"

Meretta finally sobbed out loud. "You don't know," she wept. "I never told you. When I came back from going to see her the one night before we left Britain, I only told you that she'd been adopted. It wasn't that simple."

The man remained silent, waiting for her to speak. She finally brushed away her tears and continued, "The only reason I went there that night was to steal her away from the orphanage so that she could be with us. I prepared her to leave and packed up all her things, but when we were just about to leave, they discovered us. Instead of saving her from that despicable family, I gave her to them. Reginald, I _gave our daughter to the Weasleys and she remembers it_!"

The woman sobbed bitterly, becoming silent once again only when Estella stirred in her sleep. "I've failed my own daughter," Meretta sobbed softly when Estella had relaxed again. "I should have fled with her instead of trying to cover for myself. She screamed and begged for me not to leave her with them, but—Reg, oh...it was a terrible mistake!"

"Meretta," breathed Reginald, getting up and sitting behind her, slipping his arms around her without disturbing Estella. "You haven't said anything for ten years! I'm sorry, Love..."

"I—don't!" she ordered sharply when he made to lean his head against hers. The distraught woman rested her head dully against the back of the couch. "I can never make it right." Tears continued to trickle down her cheeks. "She has every right to hate me."

"But she doesn't," Reginald said earnestly. "She wants you to love her, and act as her mother. She's afraid you hate her. She told me so, on the dock."

Meretta tensed away from both members of her family. "I sent her away with bloodtraitors and she's become one," Meretta whispered in agony. " _Why_ won't she stay away from that _filthy_ half-blood...even though Pansy cursed her, even though I Cursed her twice! Isn't there anything I can do—I've got to stop her...what if she's like this when the Dark Lord returns?"

Reginald pressed his face into her neck, sighing softly. "We've got to be careful we don't completely push her away from us, Meretta...I'm not saying we can't try to change her mind, or guide her in a certain way, but we've got to make sure that she doesn't begin to think we're never pleased with her."

The woman agreed, and her husband kissed her neck lightly. "No, stop," she said, slapping his hand away as she shifted her position. "Would you wake Estella and send her up to her room, Reg? Please? I'm going on to bed."

He nodded, releasing her from his slight embrace and carefully taking his wife's place as Estella's pillow. Once Meretta had gone from the room, stumbling slightly, Reginald lay his daughter down on the couch and watched her a moment before sighing and touching her hand. "Estella," he murmured, squeezing her fingers gently. "Wake soft, sssweetling. You mussst return to your dorm."

"Hmm," Estella sighed in her sleep, turning onto her side and curling up a little.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, more softly, watching her frown as she stirred a little more. "It's very late and you fell asleep in the Chamber. You should probably go back to your dorm so that you aren't missed in the morning."

The girl finally opened her eyes, blinking drowsily at him. "Oh!" she said. "Father. I...what time is it?"

He looked at her thoughtfully, then answered, "Past midnight, just a little. The Slytherins' party should still be going on."

Estella bit her lip, seeming to wake up more fully. "Um, I've got to get my trunk from my other dorm room," she muttered. "I guess I won't be in the dungeons tonight."

Reginald gave her a small nod, assisting her to sit and stand up, leading her from the room. He opened the Chamber for her and hissed, "Thisss isss the closessst passage from the Chamber to Gryffindor. Good night, darling." She nodded, still looking out at the castle corridors, and he slipped his arm around her. "I love you," he confided in her. "Take care of yourself, and be good for your own sake."

She hugged him fiercely, then grasped her wand firmly and disappeared down the corridors toward Gryffindor Tower.


	16. Chapter 16

Estella woke in the morning to the realization that she hadn't set up wards over her bed: the wards had been done by someone else. She reached out to test the wards and Kaphasa hissed, "Massster keepsss Missstress sssafe."

"Thanksss, Dad," she whispered, and her bitemates told her that her father merely smiled at her words. The girl charmed her hair red and rolled out of bed, quickly getting dressed and shrinking her trunk, putting it in her pocket. Slinging her bookbag over her shoulder, Ginny left the dorm room, heading down to the Great Hall. She stopped on her way and took the charm off her hair before heading into the Hall for breakfast, walking along the Slytherin House table until she'd found a seat between Meris and Malcolm. "Hi," she greeted the two, and Malcolm gave her a funny look before turning away.

"You ran off on us last night," Meris said, pouring himself some orange juice. "And never came back...the party lasted for ages..."

"Well, I thought it best if I went straight to bed," she said. "And my things weren't down in the dungeon, anyway."

"We wanted you to play Quit with us," Karnt laughed from his cousin's other side. "Draco told us how good you are."

Estella leaned across Meris and whispered, "Is playing Quit what you really had in mind? How many butterbeers did you have last night, Lestrange?"

Rohan laughed drily. "He didn't have any...he had three firewhiskeys and he was a mess. Karnt sounded like Draco—you know: he never stopped running his mouth."

Karntaan rolled his eyes at his twin. "I told you that if you joined in, it wouldn't bother you as much."

"One of us had to stay cognizant!" Rohan retorted. "You obviously didn't care enough about your reputation—"

"Don't argue, please," Estella pleaded. "It's not even lunch time! You shouldn't be arguing before then!"

"He had a hangover this morning," Rohan complained. "And he fell asleep in the bathroom, and it took two of us to break his ward!"

Meris shook his head and pushed Estella out of his personal space. "Little brother can't hold his firewhiskey," he shrugged. "You're both actually too young to be drinking like a seventh year."

Estella's eyes widened. "Karntaan's the younger twin?" she said in surprise.

The three Lestranges nodded, smirking. "You'd never know," Rohan said, rolling his eyes at his twin. "Oh, here come the owls."

They all looked up, watching the owls soar near the ceiling before flying down toward their intended receivers. An owl landed in front of Estella, and she took the letter from it, breathing her brother's name softly. Meris glanced at her, but she didn't look at him. She saw Draco smirking as he took a large package from the eagle owl that had landed on his shoulder...no doubt he'd received his regular assortment of treats from Narcissa.

The girl ate silently, shoving her letter deep into her pocket as she thought about Narcissa, and the influence she'd been throughout the ten days she'd stayed with the Malfoys. Recalling the highlights of her vacation, Estella wondered how Aislinn was doing, wishing that there was something she could do for Narcissa and her daughter.

Biting her lip, the dark-haired girl shook her head slightly, then began to finish eating when Meris asked, "When is your first class?"

"Um, I've got Ancient Runes in ten minutes," Estella said quickly. "I'd totally forgotten. Thanks for reminding me!"

"You're taking some hard classes," Meris mused.

"Well, I'll let you know at the end of the year if I recommend them or not," Estella grinned, getting to her feet and hurrying out of the Great Hall. She charmed her hair red, scowling at herself, before she scurried down the hall to find the Ancient Runes classroom. Bill had told her that Ancient Runes would be a lot of fun, but that it would take a lot of memorizing. She figured if Bill could do it, she could as well.

As she entered the room, she noted that there were only a few students there, mostly boys. "Hi!" she said to Stanley, one of the Gryffindor boys. "Not many people in this class, is there?"

Stanley shrugged. "Colin told me I was stupid when I told him I had Ancient Runes this morning. He's taking Divination and Magical Creatures."

"Boring," Ginny shrugged. "Are you in Arithmancy as well, Stanley?"

"Yeah," Stanley said with a small quirk of a smile. "I didn't want to take the other classes because I thought they wouldn't profit me anything. And Mum and Dad want me to understand magic more deeply."

"Ooh, yes," Ginny agreed. "That's the very reason I wanted to take these classes. Divination and Magical Creatures sounded absolutely pointless."

Kefira glanced at them and asked, "Have you met Colin's little brother?"

Ginny shook her head fervently, but Ben nodded. "I met him this morning in the Common Room. He's got a lot more background. Colin must talk about Hogwarts an awful lot at home."

"Surely," Stanley agreed. "It's probably unlike anything he's ever known. I don't even know what his life would be like if he weren't at Hogwarts."

"It's because you're a filthy pureblood, Stan," Ben laughed, and Ginny raised both her eyebrows at the two boys.

"It's our joke," Stanley explained to her. "About purebloods and all. You're just as filthy as I am."

"I'm a lot filthier than you are," Ginny said coldly. "I do not wish to be included in your joke, thank you." She turned away from them, taking out her Ancient Runes textbook and beginning to read the introduction.

She was glad the boys didn't try to speak to her further, going on to talk about the Quidditch World Cup. She didn't join in, even though part of her wanted to brag that she'd been in the Top Box. Undoubtedly, she'd sound like Draco if she did that. Thinking of Draco reminded her of what Theo had told her about Draco's wanting to actually hurt her. She wondered what he would do if he did try anything.

A few minutes later, their professor, Bathsheda Babbling, entered the room and brought the class to order. Ginny was thrilled to find that she had been right: the Ancient Runes class would help her more deeply understand how magic worked. The professor showed them examples of runes and told them what they meant, writing them on the board.

"If you all continue with me in this class," Professor Babbling continued, "we will be creating wards using runes as a special lock, or protection. But that will come at a later time, because how many of you know how to do wards yet?"

Ginny and Stanley raised their hands, Ben halfway putting his hand up. "As I thought," the professor said. "Very few of you know how to do them, and...dare I even ask what kind of wards you've made?"

Stanley shrugged. "Protectionary Wards, mostly," he told the professor. "My parents taught me how. They said it was something I would need to know while staying here at school."

"And you, Ms. Weasley?" Professor Babbling asked.

"Protection as well," Ginny agreed, "but also silencing wards, opaque wards, and containment wards. And there might be others I've forgotten. I just change the wards I use to fit whatever I need them for."

"Very good," the professor nodded. "Although I would caution you about changing the nature of your wards too much."

Ginny nodded, and listened to the rest of the lecture in silence. She was delighted to find out that the only homework they had for the first week and a half or so was to read the introduction (which she had already done) and to memorize the Runish alphabet, which she thought shouldn't be too difficult at all!

She got out of class, having to keep herself from skipping down the hall as she headed off to Charms. Entering the room, she found some of her Hufflepuff friends already gathered and grinned as Bea and Flora came over to hug her. Ginny hugged them both tightly, still feeling a little awkward, especially with her bitemates beneath her robes.

"You've got to sit with us at lunch," Bea told the redhead. "You've got to. There's lots for us to talk about. Only, we've got Charms and a free period first."

"Me too," Ginny nodded. "We could hang out together before lunch."

"Okay!" Flora said. "We can go hang out in our Common Room. It's a lot more comfortable than the library or somewhere else."

The three agreed and set off together when class was out, heading down to the Hufflepuff Basement. They sat together on three overstuffed chairs next to the vines around the fireplace. The Hufflepuff girls nodded at each other, then said, "Guess what?"

"What?" Ginny asked, unable to keep herself from grinning.

"That Roda Kotsn, the one girl that we introduced you to last year?" Bea began excitedly. "We found out who she is this past summer. Ginny, she's an Auror!"

"I know exactly who she is," Ginny answered very quietly. "She's stalking me because of my other identity, and she won't leave me alone."

Flora frowned. "I thought you were friends with her. At least, you were. Estella probably wasn't."

Beatrix snorted with laughter. "We're not trying to make you sound like you have a personality disorder," she said to Ginny, "but it does sound a lot like you have a severe problem."

"How did you find out who she is?" Ginny asked the two girl, desperately hoping that her parents were not watching her through the Chamber's security system.

"Well," Beatrix said quietly, suddenly becoming very serious, "I was at Flora's house this summer when they received news that her father was in St. Mungo's, dying."

"What?" gasped Ginny, seeing Flora's eyes fill with tears. "What happened?"

Flora sniffled, "He's an Auror, and he'd been injured on duty. He—"

Beatrix joined her friend in her chair, slipping her arm around the girl. "I went with her and her mother because there was no way I could go home, but it was too late." Flora began to cry harder, Beatrix hugging her carefully. "The Healers said he was gone before he arrived at St. Mungo's. They said it was a serpent bite..."

Ginny's heart pounded in horror and terror. "A _what_?" she said, her lips barely moving.

"A serpent killed my father," choked Flora, trying to hold herself together, but failing as she hid her face in her friend's robe and sobbed. "We knew that he could be injured, but I never expected him to—"

"I didn't know your dad was an Auror," Ginny whispered, gulping back the flood of confession she felt desperate to release. "So how did you meet Roda?"

"She was there, at St. Mungo's, with us," Beatrix replied softly, crying a little with her friend. "Dora had been present when the serpent had struck, so she'd come to St. Mungo's with another Auror to get the Healer's report and all that. Dora stayed when she realized that Flora was the Auror's child, and she held the two of us while we were crying—she cried with us. Then she told us who she was, and said that she'd see us again, maybe at school."

"Oh, no," whispered Ginny. "Flora, I'm so sorry...I didn't...oh no!" She came over and also hugged the Hufflepuff girl. She once again felt the dread and responsibility of that Auror's death, and quailed to think of his being her friend's father. She'd never thought that the little girl that had been left behind was someone she knew! Ginny closed her eyes, tears threatening to run down her cheeks.

She felt something open in her mind and drew back from the girls in alarm. Realizing that someone had been trying to communicate with her, but had stopped, Ginny choked, "Girls, I've got to go. I'm so sorry about your father, Flora. I wish things could be different. I'm sorry." The two Hufflepuffs nodded at her, and Ginny left the room, fleeing to an old, abandoned classroom.

There, she waited silently, wondering if the person would try to contact her. Ginny was now concerned that her parents honestly _were_ watching her, and waited in suspense to see if they would call her to the Chamber. But there was nothing, and Ginny bit her lip, getting to her feet and wondering what was going on. Heading down to the Great Hall, she decided to sit with the Hufflepuffs, hoping she wouldn't necessarily have to sit too close to Bea and Flora.

In the Entrance Hall, she was flanked by Fred and George, who grinned. "How's it going already?" Fred asked. "We're going to go for the Triwizard Tournament!" He and George looked very excited.

"Are you sure it'll work?" Ginny questioned, raising an eyebrow at her brothers. "Because we all know Dumbledore's a bit crazy, but he _is_ powerful."

"Ginny, don't you have any confidence in us?" George asked, pretending to be offended.

"Of course," Ginny chuckled, "and of course I'll cheer for you if you're chosen. I just think that there will be extra safe guards. Anyway, my day's been pretty good until about half an hour ago. Then I had a couple Hufflepuffs cry all over me. And I've got Potions after lunch."

Fred and George shrugged, Lee Jordan hurrying up behind them. "We've got Defense afterward," Fred said with a meaningful look, and the three boys glanced at each other.

Ginny smiled. "Do behave for him, although I doubt he'd have a problem taking care of you, if you did cause a disturbance."

The three nodded and hurried off toward the Gryffindor House table without inviting her to follow. Ginny turned and joined the Hufflepuff House table, sighing a little as she saw some of her cousins watching her. She couldn't sit with them, feeling the way she did, especially since she'd learned the Auror killed was her friend's father.

She ate quickly, then hurried down to the dungeons to find their Potions classroom. Ginny was dreading the class now that she'd already had one person invade her mind, and worried that she'd be more vulnerable since she'd just had two Hufflepuffs cry all over her.

She arrived in the dungeons before the others and took a seat near the right of the room. Checking her schedule once again, she sighed to see that this year, she had Potions with the Ravenclaws. Determining that she would not be shown up by the Ravenclaws in her year, Ginny opened her Potions book and began to study the recommended (required) reading assigned for the summer.

The redhead was pleased that when the Ravenclaws filed into the room, Cherea came to sit on one side of her, and one of the boys from the study group sat on her other side. "Had Defense yet?" was the first thing out of Cherea's mouth.

"No," Ginny answered. "I've got it tomorrow afternoon."

"Be prepared," Cherea said. "We had it first thing this morning, and it was...interesting."

"That's what you said about last year's Defense class," Ginny complained. "And it was only a werewolf—"

Cherea sputtered. "He's a retired Auror, _Parkington_ ," she hissed. "I'm just saying, be careful."

Ginny frowned thoughtfully, then turned her attention to Professor Snape.

As Ginny entered the Entrance Hall, she heard a loud voice shout, "Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Looking around, she saw Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle standing behind the Golden Trio, extremely pleased about something. Relieved it wasn't her the Malfoy was yelling at, Ginny was content to watch and not reply to Draco's call.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" Draco said cheerfully, talking very loudly, and Ginny was sure, that whatever the paper said, nothing about it was going to be good. "Listen to this!"

Draco proceeded to read the entire article from the _Daily Prophet_ aloud, and Ginny glared at Draco's back when he said, "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?"

 _Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder_.

Ginny snorted with laughter, and several Slytherins glanced round at her, but Draco didn't look back, continuing to read.

 _Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer_ Daily Prophet _questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene._

Draco showed everyone the picture of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley that was in the paper, and said, "A picture of your parents outside their house—if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

Ginny could've shouted with laughter, but at the look on Ron's face, she sighed in exasperation. Ron could never hold his temper when his family was insulted; she had no problem with it, but of course, the Weasleys weren't her family.

Harry told Malfoy to get stuffed, but Draco wouldn't let it drop. "Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter," the blonde boy sneered. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

Ginny really, really wanted to laugh, but held it back to hear Harry reply, "You know _your_ mother, Malfoy? That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"

Ginny gasped in indignation, and Harry looked up, seeing her horrified expression but looking back at Malfoy triumphantly. Draco said in a lethal voice, "Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter."

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," Harry answered, and turned away.

Before anyone could say anything, Draco had his wand out and had flung a curse at Harry. There was a huge bang, and several people screamed, but Harry whirled around, his hand in his pocket, going for his wand. Ginny stepped back into the sea of students, not wanting to be in the front line of the duel, and found herself between Megan and Lauren.

There was a second bang, but it hadn't come from Harry's wand, and someone roared, "Oh no you don't, laddie!"

Everyone whirled to see Professor Moody coming down the marble staircase. Everyone except Lauren, Megan, and Ginny. The three girls were staring at the pure white ferret that was standing exactly where Draco had been previously. "Hell," Ginny whimpered. "Oh, bloody hell."

Megan echoed her, except in Parseltongue, and Lauren touched both of their arms, reminding them to be silent. Moody looked at Harry. "Did he get you?"

"No," said Harry. "missed."

"LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted, and said to Harry, "Not you—him!" He motioned over his should to Crabbe, who had moved to pick up the ferret.

 _He can see through the back of his head with that eye_ , Ginny heard a warning voice in her head.

 _Mum?_ Ginny questioned in surprise.

 _Hush, Estella. Just watch._

Ginny watched. As Moody started to limp toward Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, the ferret squeaked in terror and ran off toward the dungeons. "I don't think so!" Moody roared, pointing his wand at the ferret.

The ferret, or Draco, as Ginny knew, flew up into the air, then fell to the floor, bouncing up and down, higher and higher each time. Ginny whimpered again, covering her mouth with her hands as her magic crackled and the charm came off her hair. "No," she whispered. "Stop it. Stop, please!"

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," Moody growled at the animal. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do...Never—do—that—again—"

"Professor Moody!" came another voice, and Estella turned to see McGonagall coming down the stairs.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody, bouncing the ferret still higher, the poor creature flailing its legs and tail helplessly.

"What—what are you doing?" McGonagall said in confusion, watching the ferret.

"Teaching."

"Teach—Moody, _is that a student_?" shrieked Professor McGonagall, dropping the books she'd been holding.

"Yep," said Moody.

Estella was almost crying with horror by the time Professor McGonagall had raced down the stairs, returning Draco Malfoy to himself. He reappeared on the floor, his fine hair blown all over his red face. He got up, wincing before he stood still, trembling a little.

 _He looks like such a normal boy now,_ Estella thought, embarrassed for him. _Poor Draco. I hope he isn't injured._

Draco, who did indeed seem to be suffering some pain, looked up at Moody and muttered, "My father will hear about this."

"Oh yeah?" said Moody quietly, limping forward a few steps, the dull _clunk_ of his wooden leg echoing around the hall. "Well, I know your father of old, boy...you tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son...you tell him that from me. Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"Yes," said Draco resentfully, his eyes very angry.

"Another old friend," growled Moody. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape...come on, you." He seized Draco by his upper arm and hauled him off toward the dungeon.

Estella tore out of the Entrance Hall before anyone else could move, Megan right after her, both angrily hissing in Parseltongue. They took their seats at the Slytherin House table as others poured into the Great Hall, all going on about what they had just seen. Some students were horrified, some students were chuckling cautiously, but Ron Weasley looked absolutely beside himself with heavenly delight.

"I hope he's okay," Estella murmured, and Megan glared at her plate.

"I doubt it," she muttered. "You know what Moody meant about Lucius and Snape, don't you?"

"Yeah, he knows them from the First Wizarding War," Estella shivered. "In an Auror/Death Eater way. That's creepy."

Megan glared at the food. "I'm not hungry. I wonder...isss there any way for usss to find out what'sss happening to Draco?"

Estella bit her lip, then agreed, "I'm not hungry, either. Why don't we go watch whatever's happening to Draco right now?"

"How?" Megan sighed. "Moody will see us!"

"No, he won't," Estella answered. "I doubt he can see inside the Chamber. Come on!" She began to get to her feet, then leaned down and whispered to Lauren, "Want to come with us? We're going to the Chamber to make sure Draco's all right."

"And if he's not, you couldn't do anything," Lauren warned her. "Are you sure? And how does _that_ work?" It seemed that she had just heard Estella's words correctly.

"Security system," Megan grinned, motioning Lauren to come with them. "Come on."

"Where's Guage?" Estella asked suddenly.

Megan glanced over at Ravenclaw. "She was supposedly studying with Cherea. I think she found herself a boyfriend, but I dunno. Let's go!" she said impatiently.

The three girls got to their feet and left the Great Hall, heading down the hall quickly and quietly. Estella led them quickly to Moaning Myrtles bathroom, and Lauren muttered, "Isn't there some crazy ghost in here?"

"Yes, she guards the entrance, if somewhat by accident," Estella chuckled, shutting the door behind them. " _Open_ ," she called in Parseltongue.

Lauren watched carefully as the Chamber opened, then glanced at Megan, but Estella didn't notice, striding forward to tap her wand on the pipe. Steps opened up, and Megan said, "Hey, Estella, you didn't do that the first time you brought me here!"

The dark-haired girl shrugged. "I hadn't slid in a while and thought it might be fun. And also, I didn't know if I should really bring you, so I left out the steps."

Megan rolled her eyes, motioning Lauren to go after Estella. "Are you sure this is safe?" Lauren questioned as the three walked down the steps.

"The Chamber of Secrets is never safe," Megan answered as Estella hissed the Chamber shut behind them. "But it's okay: Estella is the Keeper of the Chamber, and whatever she says, goes."

The three reached the bottom of the pipe and jumped to the ground, Estella leading them into the main room of the Chamber. "Welcome, Missstress," the stone basilisks greeted her, and she smiled, returning their greeting.

Her bitemates began to hiss, "Sssand! Warm sssand! Our nessst!"

Estella turned and walked to the sand room, opening the door and sitting down in the sand. "Go, then," she commanded them. "I will be elsewhere in the Chamber for a time, but I will return for you."

Teneski slithered up her mistress's arm and hissed softly, "Teneski staysss with Missstress."

"Very well," Estella answered, touching her little serpent necklace. She got to her feet and left the room, finding Megan and Lauren outside.

"You always make me nervous when you disappear into that room," Megan told her. "I'm always afraid you'll die in there, or something, and it'll be all my fault."

"Wherever I die, or however I die, it'll probably be because of my own stupidity, and have nothing to do with you at all," Ginny replied. "And I believe you do have access to the room. I think I allowed you into the wards. But anyway, let's go see what Moody's doing to Snape and Draco."

Lauren winced. "I would hate to be Draco right now," she said. "I can't imagine what Moody knows about Snape and Draco's father. His calling them 'old friends' was obviously sarcasm."

They entered the security room of the Chamber and shut the door, all standing in the middle of the room. "Don't be surprised," Estella told both of them. "This room will recreate the entire scene, and it will seem like we are really there, but we're not. And none of them can see us, even if they look right at us." She turned to the wall and hissed, "Moody, Snape, and Draco: a little earlier this evening."

The room changed, and suddenly the three of them were in a dungeon corridor, following Moody, who was practically dragging Draco down the passageway. Estella grinned and bounded down the passageway after them, Megan and Lauren scrambling after her when they realized that the others could not see them.

Almost instantly, the five of them met Snape walking down the corridor. Moody stopped him with a sharp order, and Professor Snape looked from Moody, down at Draco unconcernedly, then back at Moody. "Something to say, Moody?" Snape asked curtly.

The three girls glanced at each other awkwardly. Their Slytherin Head of House never spoken so easily to another Defense teacher, and they all knew it. Snape seemed to be almost afraid of Mad Eye Moody.

"Just this," Moody growled, giving Draco a little shake and making the boy wince. "Caught him causing trouble among other students. Takes after his father, this one."

"Have you arrested him?" Snape asked coolly, and the girls were pleased to see a Snape they recognized. "Certainly not."

"If he were of age," Moody said quietly, "I would not have brought him to you." He glared down at the shivering blonde boy, who looked up at Snape, his eyes communicating fear, humiliation, and anger. "Shall we have a chat in your office, Severus?"

Megan gasped, and Lauren looked grim. Estella watched the three curiously, then climbed up on Snape's desk to sit and watch from her own vantage point. Moody nearly shoved Draco into a chair, where the boy sat silently, trying to seem as small and inconspicuous as possible. Moody and Snape did not sit down, both alternately watching the boy and each other.

Finally, Moody said, "The boy did an Unforgivable Curse, Severus. Nearly hit Potter. Good thing it didn't hit: it looked fairly powerful. We wouldn't want to be cleaning up Potter's blood in the Entrance Hall, would we, young Malfoy?"

"Well, if it was _that_ good," Megan said spitefully, "there wouldn't have been any blood!"

"Did you have a suggested punishment?" Snape said calmly. "Aside from Azkaban, and from telling the boy's father, of course."

"I doubt old Lucius would be surprised," Moody growled. "Except that his son attempted the Cruciatus in the Entrance Hall. He'll be disappointed in you, laddie."

Estella raised an eyebrow, glancing between Moody and Draco, then over at Snape. "Okay?" she said, shaking her head slightly. "I'm sure Lucius would not have approved of Draco trying that in the Entrance Hall, but seriously, how many people would have known what it was—"

Lauren frowned. "I did," she said. "And I'm sure every Slytherin there knew, Estella."

"Harry must have really made him mad," Estella mused. "Draco must actually love his mama."

"Parkington," Megan said threateningly, and Estella raised her hands slightly.

"Hey, I love Narcissa," Estella said. "She's awesome. It's Draco that I don't understand and don't know how to put up with."

Moody was describing what he wanted Draco's punishment to be, but added, " _And_ you will be meeting with me after supper every day for the next two weeks...your father can't get you out of that. I'll teach you to try and Curse someone from behind."

Draco was pale, but didn't speak, only nodded. Lauren bit her lip. "He's terrified. I've never seen him so scared, ever. And I've known him since he was a baby!"

"How do you know?" Estella asked.

"He nodded," Megan said. "Without speaking. That's one thing that most purebloods frown on customarily. Ooh—!" she added this as Moody walked out of the room.

The young Malfoy slumped in the chair, closing his eyes, and Snape said quietly, "What happened before he brought you here?"

Draco drew a shallow breath and stammered, "I—I—there was an incident, and he—he turned me into a—a ferret—" the boy cringed, and Snape frowned.

"It seems to have opened your mind," the professor commented, and Draco immediately closed his eyes again. "Are you injured?"

"Y—yes," Draco answered, a small, pitiful sound escaping him.

"Aw," said Estella, tilting her head to watch Snape inspect his student for injuries. "How sweet. Oh—!" She doubled over, for Megan had punched her in the stomach. "I was serious!" she gasped.

Megan just glared at her, and Lauren looked between them. "Don't kill each other on my watch," the blonde girl told the younger two. "I don't want to be stuck down here."

They all looked over at Snape, who seemed to be watching Draco, a kind of concern on his normally sneering features. Estella came over and sat down on the floor next to Draco's chair, looking up at him. The boy was shaken, somewhat bruised, but healing, and was trembling still, whether with anger or humiliation Estella didn't know.

"What are you doing?" Megan asked her in annoyance.

"I want to see his face," Estella replied with a shrug. "I didn't think he would look up, and I can't lift his face: my hand goes right through him." To prove her point, she stuck her hand through Draco's robe, wriggling her fingers from underneath it.

Megan looked disturbed, but Lauren shook her head. "Are you finished, Parkington?"

Estella glanced between the two. "If you are."

The room returned to normal, and all three blinked as they stepped out into the main room. "Why is it so bright?" Lauren asked.

"Dungeons are dark," Estella replied. "Chamber's always lit, except for when the lights are turned down. And I don't know how to do that."

Megan shook her head, but didn't comment, and Lauren merely frowned. They walked back to the sand room, and Estella disappeared inside, her bitemates immediately greeting her. She got down in the sand, holding out her arms to them. "Come to me, bitemates," she said, and they came to her, Ananke, Sadura, Sebring, Nephisi, Kaphasa, and Tasarek.

"We will ssstay, Missstress," the others told her. "If you will. It isss sssafer for usss when Missstress cannot hold usss all."

"All right," Estella agreed, then got to her feet and joined the others. "Are you headed back to the Common Room?" she asked the two girls.

"I'm actually supposed to meet Alvin in ten minutes," Lauren admitted.

Megan nodded at the dark-haired girl. "Common Room for me. I've got homework—hey, are you staying in the dungeons with us tonight?"

Estella shrugged, then hissed the Chamber open, opening up the steps once more. She scrambled up into the pipe, then answered Megan, "Yes. Well, I was hoping never to have to stay in Gryffindor again this year."

The redhead raised an eyebrow, climbing up the steps just after Estella. "Come with me, then. I hope Guage is done meeting her boyfriend. Do you think I should confront her about that?"

"Has it been very long?" Ginny asked as the three climbed out of the pipe, scaring Myrtle and making her shriek.

"Nearly all summer," Megan sighed, then flung a spell at Myrtle, making her dive back into her toilet. "Bored out of my mind because we couldn't get together. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone to tea with my mother. And I knew that you'd be at the Charleston house for a little while before you...moved on."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "All three of us know she stayed at Malfoy Manor this summer," she said to Megan and Estella. "There's no use in pretending."

Megan glanced at Estella. "What did you do to him while you were there?"

"I...invaded his home and made him hate me," Estella shrugged. "But he's got every right to hate me. I kind of...made him mad before we arrived, because I'm not that smart about everything he thinks I should be, and so...yeah, he probably wanted to Curse me. Even before I tried to drown him on the Hogwarts Express."

"That was a disaster," Lauren said disapprovingly. "It was a lot like cleaning up accidental magic."

"Well, that's because it didn't go exactly how I planned," sighed Estella. "I didn't know that the rain and all would effect how easy it was to pull Water. I almost drowned myself: I'm not very tall, you know. I only wanted to make it rain all over Draco until we got to Hogwarts, but I soaked everyone in the compartment instead. Who all was in there? I obviously wasn't paying attention."

Lauren smiled. "Constant Vigilance," she teased, and at the girls' wondering look, she said, "You'll know soon enough. And it was Draco, Greg, Vincent, Pansy, Alvin, Theo, Blaise, and I in the compartment."

Estella nodded, and Megan said, "When I checked on them after you told us that Draco was drowning, they had dispelled the water and were trying to dry the compartment. They were all mad, except the Lestrange twins, who were laughing. I think Draco's got it in for them too, except he's a bit afraid of them."

"They're not bad now," Estella said. "If Draco's got to do anything to them, he should try it sooner rather than later. I mean, before the twins get too dangerous."

The two third years waved to Lauren as she headed off to find Alvin, and hurried off together toward the dungeons. "We have Defense just before lunch tomorrow," Megan told her. "Together, you know. And remember that he'll know you have your basilisks under your robe."

Estella gave Megan a scandalized look. "How...uncomfortable. Thank you, Sage."

"Any time, Parkington," Megan smirked, then giggled. "I don't think I'll be taking Sisha with me to class. She's quite a large basilisk for me to conceal normally. I'm not going to try my luck with Moody."

"But you expect me to?" Estella said in astonishment.

"Yes, because you're the brave one," Megan replied with a slightly nasty grin. "And because he might have seen the fifteen or so on you when we were in the Entrance Hall with Lauren. Better sooner rather than later, as you say."

The dark-haired girl huffed, but didn't protest. "Well, at least tomorrow should go better than this afternoon. Maybe. Did you hear about that Auror that snuffed it during the summer?"

Megan nodded, frowning slightly as they drew nearer to the Slytherin Common Room. "Died of a serpent bite, didn't he?" Megan said. "Must have been a very venomous serpent for him to be pronounced dead on arrival."

"It was Flora's dad," Estella hissed in Parseltongue, slapping her hand against her side.

"Who?" Megan said, jumping in astonishment at the sudden noise.

"The little Hufflepuff girl in our year," Ginny whispered. "The one with the loud friend. That Auror was her father—" Ginny looked away.

"Oh, the little girl who's always with Artemis," Megan nodded, glancing at her friend. "Why are you so concerned about her?"

Estella bit her lip. "He—he wasss on the team that wasss after my parentsss, Megan."

Megan's eyes grew wide. "Oh," she said quietly. "I didn't think your dad had serpents with him." Estella stayed silent, and Megan suddenly turned to her. "You _gave_ him sssome of yoursss? Essstella!" The dark-haired girl was suddenly caught in a partial hug. "You must have seen it through your bond...Salazar...no wonder you can see Thestrals now!"

The two girls walked into the Common Room and Megan glanced around. "None of the other girls are here. Let's go get you settled in. Did you bring your trunk?"

Estella nodded, and the two walked into the girls' dorm, back into the room Megan shared with Guage, Brianna, Samantha, and Riker. Megan set up a sixth bed, between hers and Brianna's, then helped Estella drag her trunk into place. "How will the Gryffs react to your moving out?"

"Don't know," Estella answered, flopping down on her bed. "I don't really care, unless they make such a big deal that the professors get involved."

"Are you going to be doing anything else tonight besides sleep and homework?" Megan asked, standing near the door.

"No," answered the other girl. "I think I'll just go on to bed. I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning, then."

When Megan had left, Ginny sat up again and opened her trunk, taking out her nightgown after smiling at the picture of her with her cousins on the lid. She quickly changed into her nightgown and tossed her robe over the end of the bed for the house-elves to deal with. Hearing a crackle, she frowned and reached into the pockets, drawing out an envelope.

"Oh!" she said, realizing she hadn't read the letter she'd received from Bill and Charlie. Warding her bed, she lay back on her pillows and opened the letter, beginning to read.

 _Dear Estella,_

 _So by now you should know that the Triwizard Tournament is supposed to held at Hogwarts this year. And if you didn't know that, you do now. Charlie will be seeing you soon, although that should also be "classified information until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it." Ha._

 _Try to behave yourself this year, although who knows what we mean when we tell you that. Just don't get hurt, and don't hurt anybody if you can help it. And make sure you listen to Madam Pomfrey really, really well during your lessons. We might stop by to see you and the boys some time later this year, but we're not sure when._

 _Be careful with your serpents. An Auror was just killed by a serpent bite just recently, so just be careful. We don't want Moody to get paranoid and hex your bitemates into the next county. Have you had a class with him yet? Tonks says that she feels sorry for you, because she did her Auror training with him and knows what he's like._

Estella gawked at the letter. "She did _not_! Why is everything about Nymphadora Tonks?"

 _When you've got a moment, you should tell us what your first class with him was like. Tonks said he probably won't be satisfied until you're all as jumpy as an ex-Death Eater around him. Not sure Charlie and I've witnessed that before. Or even what she meant by that at all._

 _Anyway, keep your head up, and enjoy Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Don't fall asleep in class: I used to do that sometimes, and it always hurt my grades. And don't be too annoyed by the students from other schools, because some of them will be very, very difficult, especially the Durmstrang students._

 _We want you to have a great year, Stel. Take care of yourself._

 _CONSTANT VIGILANCE!_

 _Your brothers, Bill and Charlie_

Estella lay back on her pillows and sighed, pulling her blanket up over her as she held the letter close. "I love you," she whispered in the darkness. "My brothers." Saying the words out loud, she felt a chill as she wondered if her parents were watching her. She felt a little guilty, but didn't say anything else, now thinking about her little brothers and wondering how they were doing.

She set her Waking Charms on her blankets, then snuggled beneath the covers with her bitemates and fell asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Estella woke in the morning to see the Charleston twins bombarding her ward with bits of Elemental magic. Megan had left the room, and Guage was shaking her head at the twins. "Megan told you it was a Parselmouth ward," said the golden-haired girl. "That won't help."

"We only want her to—oh look, she's awake!" Samantha grinned and motioned for Estella to get out of bed.

"What?" Estella mumbled, waving the wards down. "Can't a body rest?"

"Only when it's in the ground," Brianna smirked.

"That's for _Muggles_ ," Guage sputtered. "Don't say that!"

Megan barged out of the bathroom and shouted, "Parkington!" Estella raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you ready for Defense?" Megan giggled at the look on Estella's face.

The dark-haired girl sat up and rubbed her eyes, her letter falling onto her blanket. "That's not til this afternoon," she muttered. "Besides, I don't think I'll ever be ready to take a class from some creep who can see through wood, stone, _and_ the back of his head."

"Actually, it's second _and third_ period this morning," Guage corrected Estella gently. "Do you have a class before then?"

"Only Arithmancy," Estella sighed, glancing at the time. "Great. I'll be late if I don't hurry. Why didn't the Waking Charms go off?"

"They did," Brianna told her. "But you didn't wake up. That's why we were trying to break the ward, and then Megan told us it wouldn't work. But we still got you to wake up. Now hurry! We've all missed breakfast this morning."

Ginny Summoned a robe from her trunk and dressed, sitting on the edge of her bed. She quickly brushed out her hair, then shook her hair to get it to look slightly ruffed up and jumped into her shoes. She left the room with the other girls, and split off from them down one corridor. "See you in an hour or so," she called and waved before hurrying off. She charmed her hair red when there was no one around and entered the classroom, finding a seat next to Stanley.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully. "Missed you at breakfast this morning."

"I didn't go to breakfast," she admitted. "I slept through most of it."

"Are you excited for Defense?" Stanley asked, frowning slightly. "I heard your brothers saying that Moody is very interesting."

Ginny grinned. "Everyone says Moody's interesting. We'll see. I think I'm looking forward to it, but I'm still a little nervous."

The boy nodded. "Everyone should be, after what he did to Malfoy."

The grin disappeared from Ginny's face. "I don't really want to hear about that, sorry," she said. "I feel really bad for Draco. Honest, Stan, it's no fun to be Transfigured like that, and made a spectacle of in front of everyone in the Entrance Hall. There were a _lot_ of people in there just then!"

"You weren't there!" Stanley said in surprise.

Ginny whipped her hair, taking the charm off. "Yes, I was," she hissed. "I was standing right behind Draco when it happened."

Stanley gaped at her. "Parkington?" he said in confusion.

"That's my name; don't wear it out," she told him, and he frowned, then gave her a small grin.

"Whatever, Weasley," he told her. "I'll never understand girls."

Estella rolled her eyes and left her hair black, seeing their professor watching them closely. "Hi," she said to their professor. "Don't mind me."

Class soon began, and Estella got busy taking notes, ignoring everything except her bitemates, who informed her that her mother was watching her. "Cheersss," she muttered to herself, jotting down something about the math of magic. Estella was not pleased to learn that she had to learn equations in Arithmancy, and scowled at her textbook.

Stanley glanced over at her and made a face at her, making her snigger and hide behind her textbook. Ginny was very relieved when class was out, and joined the Gryffindor boy on the way to their Defense class, Stanley grinning in excitement. The two of them met nearly all the Slytherins coming toward the classroom from the opposite direction, and Megan was giving the dark-haired girl a strange look.

"Ready?" Estella called to the Slytherin girls, and they partially grinned.

"Why are you talking to them?" asked the boy.

"Because they're my friends," Estella replied, sniffing. She elbowed him in the ribs playfully. "Don't be prejudiced, Ackerman." She opened the door to the classroom and led the way in, Stanley following close behind her, rubbing his ribs.

They all took their seats, slightly unnerved at the sight of Mad Eye Moody looking at a paper with his good eye and watching them all and looking all around with his magical eye. Not less than a minute after Estella had sat down, her bitemates all began hissing about the magical eye.

Estella huffed in annoyance. "It won't hurt you, but I'll bet he can sssee you right now."

The bitemates seemed even more uncomfortable hearing this, and Estella touched a couple of them. "Don't worry," she said. "I'll protect you."

Ananke seemed offended. "We are to protect Missstress!" she insisted, seemingly horrified that her Mistress would suggest it to be the other way around. "Massster knowsss thisss human, Missstress."

"How?" Estella said, dumbfounded. "During the firssst war? Was thisss one after my sssire too?!"

"No, Missstress," Sadura objected. "Both belong to _Sissshausss-a-sissshausss_."

"To the Dark Lord?" Estella said in confusion, tilting her head slightly and looking up at Mad Eye, realizing that his eye was still on her.

The basilisks all hissed their agreement to her words, and Megan hissed, "Parkington, shut up! You just said that in English!"

Estella shook her head slightly and turned back to her Defense book, wondering how both her father and Mad Eye Moody could belong to the Dark Lord. She couldn't imagine any way possible for that to be true, and asked, "How do you know he belongsss to _Sissshausss-a-sissshausss_?"

"Hisss magic," hissed Teneski in excitement. "It wasss in the sssign of _Sissshausss-a-sissshausss_ , and in Missstress's sssire's Mark!"

"When?" Estella said in disbelief. "How isss that possible?"

Suddenly, the bitemates went silent, and Tasarek finally said, "Missstress, it isss hard to explain. Massster and thisss _Sissshausss_ are from one nessst, like bonding. Bitematesss cannot explain it."

Estella didn't pursue the question, thoroughly confused by her bitemates and distracted by Moody's beginning to call out names. "Ackerman. Brianna Charleston. Samantha Charleston. Creevey."

Professor Moody went on, and Estella listened for her last name, but it wasn't called. She frowned at the professor as he finished up: "Riker, Rillian, Sage, Soriah, _Weasley_."

All the others had made some answer, but she did not speak, even though Stanley, Ben, and most of the Gryffindor girls were looking at her. Moody looked up and stared right at her with both eyes. " _Parkington_."

"Here, Professor," she answered promptly.

Colin was frowning at her, and she mused that he might be about to shout at her for lying to him just as Finch-Fletchley had. The Slytherins were now looking at her, all with knowing, familiar looks. Estella didn't look away from Professor Moody until the man's scarred face twisted in what seemed to be a smirk and his eye looked away from her.

She relaxed a bit more, feeling her bitemates stir nervously beneath her robes and stroking Tasarek on her left wrist. Pressing her left arm against her stomach, she gently reassured Nephisi and Kaphasa with a touch. The other basilisks were used to being handled and knew that their mistress wished them to be calm.

Estella knew, throughout the class, that Moody was watching her and the basilisks, and felt slightly uncomfortable. She managed to stay easy enough that she didn't alarm the bitemates, but felt extremely awkward, and stalked.

The Gryffindors also acted a little weird toward her, but she suspected it was because she had strange hair and was being called "Parkington." Stanley answered Moody's question about the previous years, and Moody shook his head at the reply.

"That won't do," he growled. "Not at all." He limped up to the board and began to write on it. When he turned back around, he flung a spell at Megan, who yelped in shock and dived out of her chair, the chair and the table exploding together.

"The _hell_?" Megan shouted in fury, her wand out.

"You must always be alert for an attack," Moody said, waving his wand and putting the chair and desk back. "Constant Vigilance!"

He shouted it so loud that Samantha jumped in shock and fell out of her chair. Estella began to giggle, and Moody cast a hex that she was much too late to avoid. She yelped and writhed in her chair, suddenly itching all over.

The Slytherins were motionless and silent, except for Megan, who was shaking in fury, and Estella, who writhing with the hex. Moody didn't take the hex off, and shouted, "LEAVE HER!" at Brianna when the girl attempted to help.

Estella finally left the classroom, shaking with fury herself, and wanting nothing more than for the year to be over and Mad Eye Moody to be gone from Hogwarts. Brianna quickly took the hex off, and Estella rolled up her sleeves to show the red marks on her arms where she'd been scratching them.

Kefira frowned slightly, then said hesitantly, making sure the other Gryffindor girls weren't in hearing distance, "I have some cream in my room that could probably relieve that irritation, if you're interested."

"Okay," Estella answered. "If you're okay with me coming up there with you."

"I know who you are," Kefira told her. "I have known since we got to school. It's fine by me: let's go."

Estella hurried off with Kefira, who led the way as fast as possible without any passageways. She shook her head slightly to think of showing the Gryffindor girl the shortcuts, deciding to keep quiet. Finally, they arrived at Gryffindor and hurried up to their dorm room.

Kefira motioned the second girl to follow her, and they walked over to her trunk. "Here it is," she said. "You should put it on here. Some people might think it weird if 'Parkington' doesn't use a potion or something. This is a remedy my mother uses: she's Muggle-born."

"As long as it works, I'll try anything," Estella sighed, opening the lid. She put the cream on her arms and neck, glaring at herself in the mirror. "I'm all red!" she groaned.

"Here," Kefira shrugged, opening her trunk again. "I have this that will conceal the redness: again, don't say anything about using it. Here, I'll help." She expertly blended the second cream into Estella's fair skin and smoothed it out, grinning at the finished look.

"Thanks so much!" Estella said breathlessly, then hugged the girl impulsively. "I know I've been kind of a brat to you, even though my troubles aren't your fault—"

"It's fine," Kefira reassured her, hugging her back. "I know that you've struggled being here, when I think you actually _should_ be a Slytherin. Have you really moved all your things out?"

Estella nodded. "I'm sleeping in the dungeons, with the other Slytherin girls. Does Heark know?"

Kefira shook her head. "If she had noticed your things were gone, she would have said something," she answered. "And if she actually missed _you_ , we would all know about it. Anyway, Estella—can I call you by your real name?—if she says something, I'll tell her 'at least she's not in our room anymore' or something like that."

"It's fine," Estella reassured the girl. "And thank you. It's good to know I have one friend up here. Now let's get to lunch, shall we?" The two grinned at each other and moved as one for the door.

The next morning, Estella woke to her Waking Charms and sighed. It was a day for her to work: she needed to check with Madam Pomfrey and do homework. Dragging herself out of bed, she readied for the day and went to her classes, taking her lunch and supper with the Slytherins.

Draco appeared at supper, although he seemed very jumpy, and Estella couldn't help remembering what Bill had said. _Tonks says he won't be happy until you're all as jumpy as an ex-Death Eater around him_.

 _Well,_ _that's one down_ , Estella mused to herself before realizing that Malcolm was watching her. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, turning away.

She frowned at him, then finished her supper and headed for the Hospital Wing. Finding Madam Pomfrey with one of the patients, Estella waited until the matron motioned her over to approach. Madam Pomfrey finished her conversation with the patient, then said, "I have your schedule ready in the office, if you will wait by the door for a second."

Estella nodded, and minutes later, when the matron had checked on all her patients, she came over and opened the office door. "Inside, please."

The girl stepped inside the office, the mediwitch handing her a paper. "These are the days I would like you to come in next week," she told Estella. "You will be observing and being an extra hand at first. You will need to be practising Summoning and Banishing Spells, Cleaning Charms, and the Siphoning Charm. There is a list attached to the schedule. If you don't know how to do them, learn them, or find someone to teach you. I will be expecting you here next Tuesday afternoon."

"Thanks," Estella said softly.

"Of course," said the matron, and Estella left the office, her paper in her hand.

The dark-haired girl went straight to the Chamber of Secrets and found her mother sitting on a boulder in the main room, scowling. "Mum?" the girl asked in a small voice.

Meretta turned to look at her daughter, then said shortly, "Your father isn't here. He left without telling me this morning."

Worry shot through his daughter, and she climbed up to sit next to her mother, the paper forgotten in her pocket. "Bitematesss, where isss my sssire?" she asked them.

"Massster doesss not wish Missstress to know," Behinga said hesitantly. "But at her demand, we will tell her."

"Isss he in danger?" Estella asked, her heart pounding.

"He isss being chasssed," Sadura supplied when the others wouldn't speak. "But he isss well."

She gave a little gasp. "Why isss he out there? Tell him to come back!"

The bitemates were silent for a time, then all suddenly began to hiss, and Meretta grabbed her daughter's shoulders. "What are they saying?" she demanded.

"He's...trapped," Estella whispered, her eyes wide with horror as the basilisks' bond with her communicated the situation to her mind.

"Trapped?!" Meretta shrieked, jumping up and yanking her daughter to her feet. "You have to let me out of here," she said urgently. "I have to go there—I have to help him!"

"I—" Estella cried out as her mother seized her wrists tightly and shook her, repeating her words furiously. "Mum, stop!" Fear came over her face, and her mother stopped shaking her. Estella disapparated.

Meretta whirled around on appearance, finding herself outside Hogwarts in a deserted alley. She grabbed her daughter by the arm and disapparated once more. This time, when she appeared, she pushed Estella into a crevice in the wall and hissed, "Watch. Do not be seen!" Meretta did a spell over the opening, then hurried toward the building across the street.

With a single wave of her wand, she set the entire building on fire, then stood back, giggling slightly. Seconds later, the door burst open, and several wizards stumbled out, one with a Bubble-Head Charm, the other two coughing. Estella stared in horror at the sight of her father in chains, held between two Aurors.

The Dark witch attacked the Aurors viciously, and the two shouted in surprise, another Auror bursting through the flames in the doorway to join them. Nymphadora Tonks shouted a greeting to Meretta, who cackled with laughter and fired Curse after Curse at the three Aurors.

Spells rebounded off the shields, striking the chains and freeing Reginald's right arm. The blonde Auror shouted a warning just as Reginald raised his right hand and completely crushed the chains from his arms. "Mummy," whimpered Estella, leaning her head against the wall she was hiding in. "Daddy!"

The thirteen year old girl watched the two Death Eaters duel the three Aurors and practically held her breath. A spell brushed Meretta's arm and she shrieked angrily, replying with a Bone-Breaking Curse which left the Auror's left arm hanging uselessly at his side. Estella stared, seeing her mother smirk and taunt the man, who didn't back down.

"Bitematesss," she whispered so quietly she might have just thought it, "ssstun the blue onesss."

It was over before she could think to call the basilisks back to her. She heard the Aurors cry out and Nymphadora gasp before they fell, landing hard on the cobblestone, the fire crackling merrily beyond them. Meretta raised her wand, putting a jagged cut in the blonde Auror's seemingly peaceful face.

Reginald glanced round and gave Estella a disapproving look. "Why is she here?" he snapped at his wife, turning back to her. "If she was seen—!"

"She wasn't," said Meretta easily, training her wand on the brown-haired Auror. A thin line of blood appeared on Nymphadora's cheekbone, running across her nose and dripping onto the ground.

"Stop!" Estella cried, rushing forward, and Meretta ended the spell in alarm as her daughter threw herself between her mother and her victim. "Don't hurt her!"

"Well, you missed what I did already," Meretta said coldly, her black eyes glittering. She stepped to the side and waved her wand so that Nymphadora's robe moved, beginning to soak up the blood that was coming from a chest wound.

"If you kill her, I will _never_ forgive you," Estella hissed in fury, once again fearful of her mother, and afraid for Dora.

Meretta rolled her eyes. "Don't be childish, Estella. I'm a Death Eater, and she's an Auror. We're not going to take tea together."

Estella glared at her mother, her own black eyes sparking dangerously. "I didn't Stun her just to have you continue to injure her. Why don't we leave already?"

Reginald stepped forward, and his daughter saw that the side of his face was burned. He held out his hands to his wife and daughter and they grasped his hands as he disapparated. They appeared in the Chamber, and Meretta instantly stepped back from them. Estella stood quite still, watching both her parents, and seeing her father's dark expression.

"Father?" she bit her lip slightly. "Are you okay?"

"You should _never_ go out with us, Estella," he said, not looking at her. "And those basilisks, the ones that actually bit them—if someone ever matches their venom, you will become hunted, just as we are. It was very foolish of you."

"Where are your basilisks?" she asked in confusion, hurt. "They've _killed_ for you. Why does it matter—?"

"Because when someone is killed, the venom is marred and cannot be traced!" Reginald snapped angrily, and Estella stepped back from him in shock. "When someone is merely Stunned, the venom can be traced. We should have killed them."

Meretta smirked. "Why didn't you? Estella wouldn't let me. Perhaps she would have let you."

Estella stared from her mother to her father in disbelief. "I didn't know," she whispered. "And I didn't want them dead. That's why I—"

"I know you don't know!" her father finally shouted, and she stepped back, nearly hiding behind her mother. "It's because I haven't had time to teach you that you could end up being wanted like your mother and me, which is exactly what I _don't_ want for you!"

"Father?" she sniffled, and he looked directly into her eyes before turning and stalking away across the Chamber. "Daddy," she almost sobbed.

"I'm sssorry," she heard him call in Parseltongue, but her mother stopped her from following him.

Meretta led her daughter straight to another room, opening the door. Estella stepped inside, still sniffling a little, her mother's hand on her shoulder. The room seemed like a master bedroom, and it was very organized and special-looking, but not very cozy at all. "This is where your father and I are staying," she sighed. "He's gone to wash up, and no, I don't have any idea what he was doing out there today."

The girl walked around the room, touching the hard, solid chair in the room. She allowed magic to flow through her hand and changed the chair to a soft, furry circular lounge chair. Estella promptly curled up in the chair, wishing she had her teddy bear, but certain that her mother would either laugh her to scorn or yell at her for being childish again.

"Do you always change things like that?" Meretta said in astonishment, and Estella shrugged. "Don't shrug, Stel."

"Sometimes," she answered. "Mostly just down here, though."

"Why don't you redecorate the entire room?" Meretta suggested with a slight smile. "I can't, because of the Parselmouth wards, and your father has other things on his mind as of late."

Estella got to her feet and moved around the room, changing the colours and textures on different pieces of furniture. She fingered the bedspread, then charmed it green, silver, and black. Climbing into the bed, she lay on her back and spread a canopy over the top of the bed, draping the sheer material over the sides. She suddenly yawned, and Meretta chuckled, coming over to her and sitting down beside her.

"I see you aren't used to doing much wandless magic," she said. "I'm not surprised that it makes you sleepy. Was that everything you wanted to do?"

"No," Estella sighed, "but I can't do wandless magic when I'm sleepy."

"Of course not," Meretta grinned, lying down next to her daughter. "I wouldn't advise that either." Estella allowed her mother to pull the newly-charmed blankets up over them, her mother's arms wrapping around her and holding her cautiously. "I suppose you can stay here with us tonight, and return in the morning. We've got to make sure no one misses you too much, though."

"Where's Dad?" Estella mumbled, hearing her mother's soft breathing in her ear. "Will he be coming in here?"

Meretta gave a little huff as if she didn't want to talk about her husband. "Yes," she answered quietly, "but you needn't wait to fall asleep. I'll be here. At least, for a while."

Estella told her mother when she needed to be up, and Meretta set the Waking Charm on the bedspread. The girl sighed gratefully and relaxed more, her mother tucking the blanket more securely around them. "Sleep, darling," Meretta whispered. "Sleep, and dream sweetly." The girl drifted off to sleep, her mother alternately stroking her back and her hair.

Estella moaned softly when the Waking Charms went off, and felt someone stir next to her. She sat up in alarm and looked over to see her mother blinking sleepily, her father lying behind her with his back to them. "Good morning," Meretta whispered, sitting up too.

The girl leaned against her mother's shoulder, the older witch squeezing her daughter gently. "Let's let your father sleep," she said softly. "I had to heal him last night before he went to bed, and he needs rest."

She let her mother guide her out of the room, then motioned her to follow her across the Chamber of Secrets. They stepped into another room, the one Estella had decorated for herself the previous room, and she turned to her mother, biting her lip. "This is where I usually stay," she said. "There are robes that just...appear in the wardrobe for me."

"It is...unique," Meretta acknowledged warily, taking in the dark wood and the black comforter. "Is that fur?"

"It's...furry," Estella agreed, "but I'm not sure it's really fur. I changed it from some very uncomfortable silky material. It was too cold. This keeps me warm." She walked over to the wardrobe and flung it open. "Come see, Mum."

Meretta joined her daughter, who pulled a robe out of the wardrobe, holding it up. "It's my favourite right now," she admitted to her mother. "Or, at least it was last year. I might change my mind. I haven't looked through all of these yet because I usually don't stay down here unless I'm kicked out of the dungeons, which has only happened once."

The woman smiled, fingering the robe. She then reached into the wardrobe and pulled out a dark blue robe, finely stitched with what looked like clouds. "The Air Elemental," she mused with a smile. "I'm surprised it's not Water. Isn't that your favourite?"

"Only to use against Draco," Estella giggled. "Until I know how to control Fire enough to scare him and not hurt him."

"Of course," Meretta smirked, holding the robe out to her daughter. "We'll have to work on that. Wear this today, then."

Estella took the robe and changed her outer robe quickly. "It sizes itself to me," she said with a grin.

Meretta nodded. "The robes in my wardrobe do as well, but mine are all dark colours. Good for blending in."

"I'm glad you and Dad are okay," Estella blurted out, then turned slightly pink. "I mean, from last night. He is okay, isn't he?"

"Oh, yes," Meretta said vaguely. "I'm sure he'll want to talk to you as well. There are so many things...your schedule, please, Estella."

She handed it over to her mother without a word and watched Meretta peruse the paper before taking her wand and scribing a few words on certain places. "If you have time, you should come to the Chamber at these times. Either your father or I, or both will be able to talk to you, or teach you something. We've got to make sure that you live up to your bloodlines."

Estella glanced down at her blue robe and nodded. "I'm going to be so busy," she sighed. "I won't have a spare moment!"

"That's why I made these notes," Meretta said, handing the paper back. "You still have to sleep, as I well know. It's hard to function on no sleep." She grinned wryly, then led her daughter back into the main room, ruffling the girl's hair slightly. "Better comb this before you leave," she teased. "You might frighten someone."

"Right," Estella agreed, and her mother raised her wand, beginning to straighten the waves in Estella's hair.

Meretta finally smiled in approval. "Done," she said. "Now, be careful, Estella. It's dangerous out there."

She nodded at her mother, then walked away, back toward the entrance in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Tapping the pipe with her wand, she prepared to climb the steps out of the Chamber, but turned at the sound of her father's voice.

Reginald stood in the entrance to the rest of the Chamber, looking at her, his face slightly pale. "Estella?" he said, and she stood still as he came closer. "Stel, I shouldn't have shouted at you last night. It wasn't your—"

Estella slipped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I was so worried about you," she whispered. "It's okay, I promise." Feeling something different about her father, she looked up at his face. "Are you okay, Dad? What's wrong?"

He sighed and squeezed her gently. "Sweetling, those three Aurors are all in St. Mungo's—you know that, don't you? And—well, I'm kind of...useless right now."

"What do you mean?" the girl asked, shaking off her father's first few words. "Useless?"

"They put one of those magical restraints on me when I was arrested last night," Reginald said quietly. "The restraints are supposed to keep you from doing magic."

"But—you were—!"

"I know," Reginald interrupted. "The restraints really can't stop you from using the Elementals, but if the flow of magic ever ceases, you won't be able to get it back. It causes your magic to go dormant when you're finally finished. That's what's happened to me."

Estella was very surprised. "Oh."

He grimaced. "I have all the power of a Muggle right now," he told her, and swore. She hugged him again, burying her face in his robe, and he sighed, "My magic might not be active for several weeks. That means I'm a prisoner here as well, because I can't apparate, and I'm not going to walk all around Hogwarts like this."

"Better here than Azkaban," she told him, looking up into his face. "I love you, Dad. I'm sorry about all this."

"Sweetling…." Reginald shook his head, then squeezed her and kissed the top of her head. "It isn't your fault," he said softly. "You probably saved us both last night, Estella. I had left Levir and Lises in the Chamber."

She made a surprised sound, and the bitemates all began hissing, Estella telling them to be silent. They slithered back into her robes, seeming to be pouting. "Why?"

"Because I didn't want you to trace me," Reginald sighed. "Apparently it didn't help. We're bonded too tightly through the basilisksss."

"That's why I could see what was happening to you even though the bitemates weren't there?" she asked in realization. "Oh. Can you always see what I'm doing?"  
"Only if your bitemates relay it, and they usually don't," Reginald replied. "But you should be going now. I might have made you late to breakfast."

"I don't care," she said obstinately, then added, "I'd rather talk to you than eat breakfast." He smiled, and she pulled him down to kiss his cheek before she scrambled away from him, up the pipe and out of the Chamber.

Several minutes later, she sat in Transfiguration next to Riker, thinking about what her father had told her. She felt bad for him, and wondered what it would be like to not be able to do magic. Estella remembered her father crumbling his chains, then instantly jumping into the duel with the three Aurors.

Biting her lip, Estella thought about the young female Auror that her mother had shown particular dislike for. _Dora_ , she wondered. _I hope she's all right._ She knew her dad had said that the Aurors were now in St. Mungo's, recovering from their bites, and in two cases, their slash injuries Meretta had graciously given them. Ginny wondered if her mother would have killed Nymphadora if she hadn't stopped her.

The girl shifted uncomfortably, hoping that the young Auror was doing all right. It had only been a little while, after all, but she knew that her mother could inflict a lot of pain. She smirked slightly as an idea came to her, and looked up at Professor McGonagall, waiting for the end of class.

She did some of her homework during the next hour, which was free time for her. Estella was just finishing up when it was time for her to dash off to Charms for their second lesson that week. At lunch, she sat with Stanley and Ben, who chatted to her about classes. Ginny answered distantly, then wrapped up her lunch and left the Great Hall, distracted by her brilliant idea.

That evening, after dark, Estella crept down to the dungeons, her plans all hashed out. She grasped her wand tightly, took a steadying breath, then turned on the spot to disapparate. She stumbled when the feeling of being squeezed was over, landing on her backside at the back door of the Burrow.

Getting to her feet, she immediately approached the door and raised her hand to the inner wards. Once she was granted entrance, Ginny hurried to the stairs and began to climb, expertly avoiding the creaky spots in the steps. She listened at her oldest brothers' door, then opened it, walking into the room.

"Ginny!" Bill hissed. "What are you doing here?"

"How did you get here?" Charlie demanded at the same time.

"Shhh," she told them. "Mum and Dad don't know I'm here. I apparated from Hogwarts."

Charlie still looked astonished. "But—how did you get out?"

Ginny glanced at Bill, then answered, "I have my ways. Anyway. I need one of you to take me to St. Mungo's."

Both boys stared at their little sister. "Are you all right?" they demanded as one voice.

"I'm fine," she sighed. "Look. I heard that Nymphadora was injured on duty last night, and I want to go see her, but I need one of you to take me."

"What?" Charlie said, shocked. "Really?"

"Ginny," Bill said seriously, "do you really think it necessary to go visit her? If you are seen…."

"That's another reason one of you should take me," Ginny persisted. "Because you know her, or you used to."

Charlie raised his eyebrows at her, and she shrugged. "What if she's asleep?"

Ginny huffed at her brothers. "You've got to take me!" she pleaded. "It's kind of my fault that she's in St. Mungo's, but no one can know that, not even her! I just want to make sure that she's okay!"

Bill frowned. "Gin, we can't. If Mum found out...she'd kill us."

She turned her best pleading eyes to Charlie. "Please?" she whispered. "Please?"

"Well, if you never say a word to Mum until it doesn't matter anymore," Charlie relented. "Did you bring your cloak?"

"Charlie!" Bill snapped.

"You sound like Percy," Charlie said very particularly. "Tell you all about it when we get back. Here, Gin." She gave him a hand up off the bed and they walked silently out of the room.

Ginny whispered for him to follow her steps on the stairs, and the two were outside very quickly and silently. "Thanks," she whispered as he took her hand to disapparate.

They appeared at St. Mungo's, and chills raced up her spine when she recalled Molly dragging her through the doors last time she'd been there. Ginny stepped closer to Charlie as they walked up to the receptionist. "Hello," Charlie told the woman. "We're here to see Nymphadora Tonks."

"Name?" the witch said impatiently.

"Charlie Weasley," he said. "Isn't it obvious?"

The woman merely glared at him, then asked, "Is she expecting you?"

Charlie glanced down at Ginny, who had scooted closer to his side. "No, she has no idea," Ginny said in a small voice. "But we wanted to come see her, if we could."

Frowning, the receptionist told Charlie the room number, and he kept his arm around his sister, leading her through the doors. They walked together through the halls, Charlie squeezing her shoulder to let her know he understood. Finally, they stepped up to the door of the ward the Aurors were in and Charlie opened the door, leading Ginny inside.

A Healer from that ward came up to them, and Charlie said, "We're looking to visit Nymphadora Tonks."

The witch nodded and led them over to a bed that was curtained off. "Ms. Tonks, someone is here to see you," she said through the curtains, then pulled the curtains back to let them in.

They walked closer to the bed, and Ginny saw that the vicious slice that her mother had given the Auror across the face was mostly healed. Nymphadora glanced up at them, frowning, but then her mouth dropped open. "Charlie!" she cried, and he dropped Ginny's hand and went to Tonks' side.

Charlie squeezed his friend's hand, then leaned down to give her a hug as she sat up slightly. She winced, and Charlie released her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said softly, giving him a small grin. "For some reason, our prey decided to slash me up after sending their serpents after us." The brown-haired witch pointed to the cut on her cheek. "They got Aidan, too, but only his face."

"When will you get out, do you know?" Charlie asked her.

"Eventually," Tonks rolled her eyes, her hair morphing pink. "When I can sit up without grimacing."

Charlie chuckled, then motioned his sister to come closer, and Tonks looked directly at the girl. "Does anyone know you're here besides us?" she asked Ginny.

Ginny shrugged slightly. "None of my cousins," she answered, tilting her head to look at Nymphadora. "You got me in big trouble with that Patronus. They were furious that I'd have any contact at all, even if it wasn't my fault."

"So...being here now isn't your fault?" the pink-haired young woman raised an eyebrow.

"This is my...secret rebellion?" Estella raised an eyebrow as well. "I don't know."

"Well, you should be careful!" Tonks said in concern. "They might really hurt you—do you have serpents on you right now, Estella?"

"No," she answered. "I left them on my bed, and I warded it so no one can disturb them."

Tonks wrinkled her nose. "I got bitten by one of your father's basilisks," she said, sniffing. "It knocked me out, and I didn't even wake up when your mother cut me—and I know it was her. Reginald is more practical and less revengeful."

Estella sighed, glancing down at her hands, and Nymphadora motioned her to come closer. The young woman gave her a small hug, whispering, "I'm not upset with you."

"I'm...sorry," she whispered, hugging the woman back, chills of guilt running through her.

"It isn't your fault," Nymphadora told her, and she drew back, giving the Auror a pathetic smile.

"Everything is my fault," Ginny replied. "Everything, Dora."

Tonks sighed. "No, it's not, Stel, I swear. Honestly, I thought your father was going to Azkaban last night, but when your mother showed up, she managed to free him. Aidan even put one of those magical restraints on him, but he _still_ was able to duel us. Your parents are super Dark Wizards, Estella, but it's got nothing to do with you. I just wish I knew where they were hiding. Or maybe I don't. I'm supposing your dad has all the power of a Muggle right now."

The Auror began to giggle, and Estella glared at her. "That's not funny, Nymphadora!"

"Don't call me Nymphadora," the woman told her sharply. "I'm not making fun of your dad, but it's terribly ironic that he probably can't do magic at all right now."

"Just shut up," Ginny said, and Charlie frowned between the two girls.

"Are you two friends, or enemies?" he asked them.

"Neither."

"Both."

The girls scowled at each other, then sighed. "We can't be friends, but I don't want to be enemies, but it's not simple," Tonks explained to Charlie. "Her cousins Curse her if I come around, and I'm after her real parents, and I'm just a problem."

Ginny frowned. "You are not. You're really cool, but no one can see past their stupid prejudices and let me make my own decisions."

"Well...thanks," Tonks said in surprise. "Um, maybe I should warn you that my mother is supposed to arrive any minute."

"Oh—" Charlie swore, and Tonks laughed. "Does she still—?"

"Yes," Tonks answered, still laughing. "She still thinks you'd be a wonderful son-in-law."

Charlie looked down, and Ginny bit her lip, remembering the memory she'd seen of Tonks telling Charlie she couldn't marry him. She did love him, Ginny knew. She saw the slightly guilty look in Tonks' eyes that quickly disappeared behind her regular clear brown eyes.

Ginny stepped closer to her brother again, leaning against his side. "He would be, but not for your mum. Even though I think you'd be a great older sister."

"Better than Hermione?" Charlie pretended to be astonished.

"Oh, shut it," she told him, elbowing him playfully. "Of course!"

The three kept up the light banter until Charlie finally said, "Well, we should go. Ginny should be getting back to school like a decent child—"

She smirked. "Nope."

Tonks smirked back at the two. "Do you sneak out a lot, Stel?"

"About as much as you did first year," she answered, and grinned at Tonks' expression. "Which is to say, not as much as I will later."

"She knows you," Charlie said ruefully. "She understands things about you it took me years to find out. And I still don't understand some things."

"Well, that's why you should write to me," Tonks told him. "Because if you don't, I _will_ start sending you weekly Howlers. I doubt your roommates would like that."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "No Patronuses, please, Dora," she said. "At least, not while I'm at Hogwarts. I'm sleeping in the dungeons with my cousins, and to my knowledge, only one of the Gryffindor girls has noticed that I'm gone. I haven't been missed at all!"

Tonks grinned mischievously. "Should I send a Patronus to your mother and tell her I'm still alive?"

"Don't dare her," Ginny sighed, rolling her eyes. "If she wanted to kill you, she would, probably. From what all my cousins say, at least. They think she's crazy, and Megan doesn't like her."

"Who's Megan?" Tonks asked curiously.

"She's my dad's cousin, I guess," Ginny answered with a shrug. "From the Parkington side, not the Parkinson side."

Charlie gave Ginny a weird look and asked, "Meretta was a Parkinson?"

The girl nodded. "She's Pansy's aunt, and Pansy's my first cousin."

"I thought she was a Black," Tonks said wryly. "Oops."

"Well, _her_ mother was a Black," Ginny told Tonks. "Ramea. She's cool. She lives with Pansy's family, but my grandfather's already dead."

"So you've met your grandmother, then?" Tonks said. "I think she's the oldest Black still alive."

"Yeah, and she is," the redhead answered. "The only one left of her siblings. Her older brother was your...great grandfather, I think. Oh, and have you ever been in Dumbledore's office?"

Tonks smirked, and she and Charlie laughed. "Why do you ask?"

Ginny smiled a little, replying, "Well, you know that portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black? He greeted me one time when I was up there, and he asked me whose child I was. He knew. It was kind of scary and really awesome at the same time."

"So...you two are second cousins," Charlie said. "Kind of."

"Well, not counting the once removed," Tonks added, grinning. "You two really should think about leaving soon. I'd rather you not be here when Mum arrives."

"Okay," Ginny nodded, coming forward and standing by Tonks' bed. "Be careful, Dora."

"I'm _always_ careful," the young woman exaggerated, then sat up. "Take care of your own self," she told Estella, giving her a small hug.

Ginny stood there in surprise, then squeezed the injured girl carefully. "I'm pretty sure I'll be seeing you around. Write me, and curse ward the letters. You can do that, right?"

Tonks nodded, lying back with a sigh. "I can do a lot of nasty things," she said.

"Me too," Estella agreed. "Kind of terrible. See you around. Bye!"

"Goodbye," Tonks said with a smile.

Charlie walked up beside Ginny and touched Nymphadora's hand slightly once more. "Goodbye. Write me?"

She gave him a severe look. "Only if you write me."

He nodded, then leaned in and kissed her forehead before turning and leading his sister from the room. Ginny bit her lip as they walked down the hall together, back to the entrance and waiting room. Before they disapparated, she asked, "Do you still love her?"

"Yeah," Charlie sighed, then jumped back as someone apparated nearby. "Oh!"

The tall witch glanced at him, then raised an eyebrow critically. She turned and walked straight up to the receptionist, decidedly ignoring the two. Charlie disapparated.

"Was that her mother?" Ginny whispered in surprise when the two landed before the door of the Burrow.

"Yes," Charlie said with a shudder. "She scares me. I always feel that she disapproves of me, but she's been after Dora to marry me...Dora won't." He sighed. "Look, Ginny. Go back to school, do your homework, and go to bed. Tomorrow, you need to mind your own business and not send basilisks after Aurors."

She gaped at him in alarm. "Charlie—!"

"I mean it," Charlie told her quietly. "You will get yourself in a lot of trouble if you're found protecting Dark Wizards, Estella."

"I'm not doing anything!" she insisted. "Honest I'm not!"

He hugged her tightly. "I want you to be safe," he whispered. "You've always been my sister, Stel, from the first moment I saw you. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

She looked straight into his eyes, seeing real concern in her brother's eyes. "I'll be fine," she promised him, a nervous feeling in her stomach. "I'm going to begin my apprentice duties soon, so I'll have a lot less time to be in trouble."

"Be safe," he sighed. "I love you, Sis."  
"I love you too," she murmured, hugging him tightly before she stepped back and disapparated.

Megan was the only one awake when Estella stepped into their dorm room, and the redhead sat up, staring at her in surprise. "Where've you been?" she whispered. "I've been concerned about you. Did you go back to the Chamber?"

"No, I went to sssee my—well, I went to sssee Bill and Charlie," Estella hissed softly. "They sssaid they might be visiting the ssschool sssoon."

"It'sss really none of my business, but if the othersss found out, or asssked questionsss…." Megan gave her a meaningful look.

"It'sss no one's business if I go sssee Bill or Charlie," Estella pointed out. "But I'm tired. Goodnight, Megan."

The redhead muttered a goodnight and turned over, covering her head with her blanket.


	18. Chapter 18

Later that week, Estella approached Lauren and asked her for help learning the spells and charms Madam Pomfrey had told her she would need to know. The blonde girl led her to a secluded corner of the Common Room and began to help her with the spells. Estella had no trouble with the Summoning and Banishing spells, but she struggled with the Siphoning Charm.

"Think of it as sipping something through a straw," Lauren suggested. "That's what we're doing, really. This charm is for clearing blood from an injury, or removing a spill from robes. It isn't that hard."

"Ha." Estella rolled her eyes and tried again. A half hour later, Lauren pronounced her Siphoning Charm passable for that evening, and Estella went off to bed. She guessed that Lauren disappeared to find Alvin, for the blonde girl headed up to the boys' dorm.

When Estella crawled into bed, her bitemates hissed, "Missstress's sssire wishesss to ssspeak to her."

Her heart pounded in guilt, and she hissed, "What isss it he wishesss to sssay?"

"He wishesss to know when Missstress will visit the Chamber," Sadura said.

"Oh, sorry," she said, biting her lip. She clutched her teddy bear close beneath her blankets, hidden in her ward. Estella hadn't been back to the Chamber since she'd saved her parents from the Aurors, and had been afraid to see her mother since. She also felt very awkward to be around her father if he couldn't do magic.

"I don't know," Estella said finally. "I've been busy…."

The basilisks hissed wordlessly, knowing very well that their mistress had been avoiding the Chamber. "Sssire saysss he wishesss to sssee Missstress sssoon, before the _sheisss_ from the other nessst arrive."

She drew a deep breath. "I don't know when they'll arrive, but we'll be warned. And I'm going to begin my apprenticeship soon, so I'll be even more busy."

Reginald Parkington sighed, sitting in the sand room, the rest of the basilisks slithering over him. "Estella…." he scowled at the wall. He knew the game his daughter was playing: he'd seen her mother play it many, many times. "There are thingsss I need to tell you, and I want to tell you face to face."

"I'll try to come down Tuesday night," she said slowly, biting her lip again. "But I won't promise."

"All right." Reginald got to his feet, brushing the sand from his hands. He joined his wife in their room, and she sat up in the bed slightly.

"Is she—?"

"No," he answered. "She isn't coming. But she might be able to make time for us on Tuesday night."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, and Meretta scowled up at the ceiling. "I didn't do anything that would make her run from me," she muttered. "And you certainly didn't do anything. I know you want her to stay all sweet and innocent. I'd torture her for avoiding us if—"

Reginald turned and frowned at her. "I wouldn't advise that. I'm fairly certain that she's afraid she'll become a Dark witch if she's around us too much. She probably scared herself when she saw us with our shadows."

Meretta blew out her breath in exasperation. "There is no way she can avoid going Dark, or becoming a Death Eater, if she wants to live," she reminded her husband. "She has no choice in this, especially because _you_ didn't look out for the Dark Lord's basilisks—"

"She doesn't know that yet," Reginald said quietly. "And they aren't the Dark Lord's. They are mine, or were, and I belong to the Dark Lord. I told Estella and the bitemates that. They know: Estella knows."

"What about our sons?" Meretta asked softly. "They know nothing of us, or of what is awaiting them."

"Estella will help them," Reginald answered, slipping beneath their comforter. He rubbed the blanket between his fingers and sighed, remembering his daughter had charmed it. "She will find the way and lead them to it, with us to guide her now. We won't be available like this once the Dark Lord returns."

Meretta nodded, pressing her face into her husband's nightshirt. "We have so little time."

"We must be extra careful not to push Estella away when we need to prepare her for her duty," Reginald cautioned himself and Meretta. "If we want her to survive, we may have to waver on some things in order to keep her feeling safe with us."

"I will try not to frighten her," Meretta smirked. "I think I already did."

"You'd frighten Bellatrix herself," Reginald chuckled. "I've seen it happen." He kissed her forehead. "Goodnight."

The following Tuesday afternoon, Estella reported to the Hospital Wing to begin her apprenticeship, and Madam Pomfrey motioned her to approach herself and the fifth year she was working on. "The others should arrive soon for you to take the oath," the matron informed her when she was close enough to the bed.

The boy frowned, looking over at the dark-haired girl. "What oath?"

"The Healer's Oath," Madam Pomfrey said briskly. "Estella, or Ginny, or whatever she wishes to be called, is being apprenticed to me as an intern."

"Oh." The boy, who Ginny was certain was a Ravenclaw, said, " _Parkington_? They aren't the healing type, are they?"

"Not normally," Estella answered, though she felt a stab of annoyance. "Seems that I'm different."

The boy seemed to accept that answer, and Estella slipped across the Hospital Wing into the office at Madam Pomfrey's suggestion. Not long afterward, Madam Pomfrey joined her, Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore there as well. Estella did not speak, waiting on them to say something.

Dumbledore turned to the matron and said, "Would you like me to explain this to her, or would you like to do the honours?"

"Go ahead, Albus," Madam Pomfrey replied. "I might have to leave in the middle of it all, anyway."

"Very well," he agreed. "Ms. Weasley—"

"I'm a Parkington," Estella said quietly before she could stop herself.

"Ah." Dumbledore looked at her for a moment, and she reinforced her Occlumency wards, staring straight back at him. "Ms. Parkington, you already signed the Healer's Oath, but we're here for you to swear it before us as witnesses."

She continued watching him silently and he added, "Poppy, if would you explain further."

Madam Pomfrey quickly told Estella what she was to say and how she was to hold her wand hand. The dark-haired girl frowned slightly, thinking that it was another binding spell. She had no desire to be bound by another of those, whether it was her choice or not.

Finally, she raised her hand and said the words, the four adults watching her carefully. When Estella lowered her hand, Madam Pomfrey gave the signed oath to Dumbledore and said, "Keep that safe, won't you, Albus?"

"Of course," the headmaster agreed. "Now if you've got everything under control as usual, Poppy, there are things I must see to."

The matron seemed to giggle slightly as Dumbledore left the Hospital Wing, McGonagall and Snape leaving soon after. "Now, Ms. Weasley—Parkington—Estella. Whoever you are." The matron frowned at her for a moment. "You will be observing for the first few days, and then I will give you small tasks to be done. When you have learned those well, we will begin with some small Healing spells."

Estella nodded, and the witch added, "Besides assisting with potion brewing and other such things. If you really apply yourself, you could learn a great deal and understand how to use the knowledge you're gaining now in the real—oh dear." She bustled out the door of the office and Estella followed just in time to see her levitating a student onto a bed.

This student seemed to be writhing under some sort of hex, two of his friends standing close by. "It was Malfoy," hissed one of them. "Reese didn't do anything and Malfoy just—I wish Professor Moody had been there. I'd really like to meet that ferret again."

The third boy chuckled, but the boy on the bed didn't say a word, his thrashing stopped. "Yes, well," said the third, then noticed Estella. "Hey, Parkington, Lauren said to tell you that she wants to talk to you. I don't know how she knew you were here."

"She's got her ways, I assume," Estella shrugged. "Someone's always stalking me, Jansen."

"How do you know who I am?" the boy demanded.

"How do you know who I am?" Estella replied. "I just remember you as a Ravenclaw that some of the boys have mentioned a few times. They say you're unusual, like Thorin is."

"Oh, yeah," said the other two boys together. "Except that Thorin's a little less hot tempered."

Estella chuckled. "He's cool. We were in the same Charms group together, and then I kind of disappeared out of it last year. I don't know if I'm going back or not. I'm really busy this year. Already." She gave a rueful grin.

Madam Pomfrey just shook her head slightly and explained to the three boys what the counter-curse was. The victim sighed, "Better steer clear of Malfoy, hadn't I?"

"That, or constant vigilance," Estella said wryly.

"Yeah, sure," chuckled the first boy. "Constant vigilance."

Moments later, the boys left, and Madam Pomfrey told Estella, "Follow me now and watch." Estella quickly walked after the matron to every bed in the Wing, watching and listening carefully as the matron noted the present condition of the patients and administered potions and spells as needed. Madam Pomfrey motioned her back to the office when she was finished, and Ginny followed.

"This will be your main duties once you have learned the basic healing spells and how to do them and measure the potions," the older witch told her. "But that will come with time. You are dismissed for today."

"See you soon," Estella said, then left the Hospital Wing, heading for the Slytherin Common Room. Once she'd arrived discretely, she sought out Lauren and said, "Jansen said that you wanted to see me?"

The blonde girl and her boyfriend looked up at Estella. "Watch your back," Lauren said simply.

Alvin didn't say anything, and Estella turned and went to a secluded corner of the Common Room to be alone with her bitemates and homework. Her friends didn't speak to her until they were all in their dorm room, and Guage finally sighed, "Parkington—look. You probably don't think Draco's all that impressive or anything, but he's fierce when someone's pissed him off."

"That someone is you," Riker chuckled. "I'm glad I'm not you."

"We don't even know what's happened to you two, but Draco's got something up his sleeve," Brianna told Estella.

"Besides his arm?" she giggled. "Right."

Samantha rolled her eyes. "Everyone's been warning you about him, Stel. Even Theo, and that's unusual. Nott usually doesn't open his mouth about anything that doesn't concern him. For Lauren to say something to you either means that she considers you a friend, or she doesn't want any blame for whatever Draco is planning."

Megan lay down across her bed, Sisha slithering around the girl's body. "We're just saying that you've been warned. And if you have a minute sssome time thisss week, I would like to talk with you about something important."

"Okay," Estella agreed, curling up on her bed and facing Megan. "Okay. I'm going to be down at the Hospital Wing most of the rest of the afternoons this week because I'm starting my apprenticeship."

"Your what?" Riker said, confused.

"She's training to be a Healer," Samantha grinned at the others. "She's gonna become a St. Mungo's Healer."

Ginny shuddered involuntarily, and her bitemates hissed reassuringly. "I hate St. Mungo's," she said. "I just wanted to learn more about Healing and all, but being a Healer would be nice. I'd just need to find a different Wizarding Hospital to take me on."

Brianna nodded understandingly, then yawned as she slipped into her bed. "Remind me never to visit you," she yawned. "I'll try my luck elsewhere."

Estella rolled her eyes and hissed for her bitemates to coil around her. They obeyed as she got comfortable in the bed, not pulling the blanket over herself as she warded her space. She fell asleep after successfully putting all of her racing thoughts to rest as well.

During the next few weeks, Estella and Ginny received many comments about her becoming an apprentice. Quite a few students were alarmed at the idea, especially Ginny's Hufflepuff friends. Ginny had to explain to them that she'd have to learn a lot before she would be allowed to assist in Healing any students before her friends calmed.

It wasn't until two weeks after the girls' warning that Megan came up to Estella in a corridor and asked to speak to her privately. "We could talk now," Estella shrugged, speaking in Parseltongue.

"Yesss, but we have to be alone in case our word slipsss," Megan answered.

"Oh. Where do you want to go?" she asked, frowning. She didn't dare offer to take her Parselmouth friend to the Chamber since her parents were there.

"Follow me," Megan commanded, and Estella followed without a word.

The two of them sat in a hidden corridor, and Estella waited for Megan to speak.

The redhead frowned a moment, then hissed her queen-sized basilisk into her lap. "Sssisha isss what I mussst ssspeak to you about, Ssstel." Megan glanced down at her serpent, stroking her with a practised hand. "She isss nearly ready to make her nessst and lay her clutch, but she mussst have a sssafe, warm place for the young onesss. Our dorm room isss not sssafe, nor quiet enough."

Estella looked at the serpent awkwardly, then back at Megan, feeling nervous about the conversation's direction. The other girl sighed, a tiny smile quirking the corners of her mouth. "Yesss, I am asssking for use of a room in the Chamber," Megan admitted. "Preferably one of the other sssand roomsss. My father saysss there'sss another close by the one your bitematesss occupy."

"What does your father know about the Chamber?" Estella demanded with a scowl.

"He's been in it quite a lot, or so he says," Megan shrugged. "I guess our fathers have known each other for several years, and met in the Chamber quite often. I only know what my father's told me."

"Hmph," said Estella.

Megan glanced over at the other Parselmouth carefully. "I know you might need to speak to your father about this, Estella—I also know that he's living in the Chamber presently."

Estella gaped at Megan without a chance to even pretend she didn't know what Megan was talking about. "Wha—?! No!"

"I thought it might be an interesting experience for you to be involved in something like this," Megan told her. "Even to see it happen, to be there during it. My family and Corin's family have always been involved in our basilisks' breeding. I know you'll probably have to speak to your father and confer with your bitemates about the rooms and having another basilisk around and all, but I'm just asking you to think about it."

Megan got to her feet. "I'll be around. Let me know what you decide."

Estella shook her head as Megan left the corridor, and the dark-haired girl hurried to the nearest entrance to the Chamber, hurrying down toward the main room. There was no one at all waiting for her, not even her father. "Hello?" she hissed, her voice echoing in the large, empty room. "Isss anyone here? Tom?"

 _Your parents are in their room, watching you_ , came Tom's voice in her mind. _I don't think I should come talk to you with them here. I don't relish being attacked by your half-mad mother._

 _What should I do?_ Ginny asked him, biting her lip. _Should I go to them? Are they upset with me?_

 _I do everything in my power to avoid them,_ Tom replied unhelpfully. _I wouldn't know._

Estella sighed, then walked to the sand room and exchanged bitemates, ready for a new set of basilisks. She then headed toward her parents' room, feeling awkward and a little worried about how she'd be received. She raised her hand to knock on the door, and it swung forward, revealing her parents sitting together at a three-person table. "Hi," she said uncomfortably, and her mother frowned, motioning her into the room.

"Sit down," her father told her, and she obeyed, looking uncomfortably down at the table, rather than at their faces. "Something must have happened for you to seek us out. Did you _need_ something from us?"

"I've been busy—"

"You're lying," Meretta said coolly. Her dark eyes pierced her daughter, and the girl squirmed uncomfortably. "You were upset with me when you left last time, and you've been afraid that I would find out you went to see Nymphadora in St. Mungo's."

The girl drew a sharp breath, but didn't move, knowing she could not get away from the older witch in time. "I wanted to make sure she was all right," Estella said, her mouth dry.

Meretta snorted in derision. "She's fine. She's back to trying to find us, but she won't. The most important question is: why won't you cease contact with her? Clearly you lied to us on the waterfront as well: it was your doing that led to her Patronus, Estella."

"No, I didn't encourage her," Estella pleaded with her mother. "I swear! The first time I met you, the Aurors mistook me for you because no one Side-along-ed me from Knockturn. Dora pointed out that they'd made a mistake, and walked with me out of Knockturn until Larosil picked me up. I didn't see Dora again until she checked up on me at school to make sure I was all right. After another visit from her, Megan realized that it was Dora and told the twins, and Pansy heard and cursed me."

"Ha!" said Meretta. "And none of our warnings helped!"

"Dora told me about Bill seeing you in Egypt, and I wanted to know what had happened!" Estella said, glaring at her mother. "I told Dora what Pansy and the others had said, and she said that she'd stay away, if just to keep you from cursing me. Obviously it didn't help. I called her back to celebrate Gryffindor's winning the Quidditch Cup last year because she and Charlie were always rivals over that. But all we did was celebrate! We didn't do anything else, except she got some of Fred and George's Rodent Rocks and used them on her mother—and then I saw her at the Ministry when the Charlestons picked me up this summer. She pointed me out to Scrimgeour, and then I left with Naridia. That was probably why Dora sent me the Patronus later, but I didn't encourage it at all."

Reginald regarded his daughter for a moment. "I know that I practically told you to go see Nymphadora at St. Mungo's, but beyond that, I would like to see you end this acquaintance you have with this half-blood, Stel."

Estella looked back at her parents, dreading their responses to whatever she might say. Her conversation with Megan had completely escaped her for the moment. "I—I can't," she whispered.

"Why not?" Reginald asked as Meretta drew a deep breath to begin shrieking at her daughter.

"Because she's kind to me," Estella said, shrinking away from her mother, who seemed to be about to explode. "Dora's nice."

"Estella," said her father quietly, carefully placing a hand on his wife's knee to keep her quiet, "I do apologize for putting the idea into your head, but you must not visit Nymphadora anymore. Besides that, you should not communicate with her, or anything else of the sort. Don't talk to or summon her anymore. This is not a request, Estella; it is an order."

She watched her father for a moment, trying to see if he meant what he was saying. Her mother was still fuming, staring at a single spot on the table, which was starting to smoke slightly. Estella couldn't find anything to say that her parents would accept, but just looked at them wordlessly.

Her father sighed, and Meretta finally spoke, her voice forcefully even. "The world is _not_ kind, Estella, and you will learn to accept that."

"But I assume you came down here for a different reason," Reginald said quietly, seeing the distressed look on Estella's face. "Did you have a question for us?"

"I don't remember," Estella said, her mind racing with the knowledge that her parents were more than aware of everything she did. "I don't know anymore."

"Ask me when you remember," Reginald told her, getting to his feet and walking over to her. He took her by the hands and raised her to her feet, Estella trembling slightly.

She felt him embrace her slightly as he murmured, "I love you, sssweetling."

Estella snuggled right against him, wishing that Meretta would be as cuddly as her father was, and wondered how her parents got along since they were so different. "I love you too," she told him, squeezing him back.

"Let's go to the sand room," he said, leading her from the room. She followed him and sat down in the sand, allowing all the bitemates to slither around her. "I do know what you were discussing with Megan: your bitemates relayed it to me. I am open to it if you are, and I can speak of what we would need to do whenever you give the word."

"Thanks," she muttered, remembering what Megan Sage had told her about Sisha.

"I think allowing Megan to keep her basilisk down here for a time will be a great learning opportunity for you," Reginald told his daughter. "After all, she'll be able to teach you more about our variation of basilisks than I would, and in a much less suspicious way."

She frowned. "Why suspicious?"

He smirked slightly, replying, "If you suddenly learned a great deal about the Parkington basilisks, about which the world knows precious little if any, others might become suspicious. Having the Sage girl with you will be good for discussion about certain difficult topics that you would not find out without one of her family, or me."

Estella nodded with a small sigh, and her father slipped his arm around her again, drawing her to his side. The basilisks slithered around them happily, and Reginald conjured rodents for them. The bitemates tore their _hisssusss_ to shreds, and Estella watched them silently, noting that they were all becoming more violent.

Reginald finally said, "Estella, don't forget to employ Occlumency. It will be your best friend if you wish to keep any secrets."

"It's been harder lately," she admitted, looking down and stroking one of the smaller basilisks. "So much has been happening..."

"Yes," he agreed softly, "but that is no excuse to leave your mind open. Safety, Estella. From everyone, even me. You must use Occlumency, even though I have no idea where you learned it except from your mother."

"Oh," she said. "Tom taught me. He even taught me to apparate, and...well, he's the one that taught me everything I'd forgotten about serpents, and all."

"He's been a good friend to you?" Reginald asked, and she nodded.

"I...I haven't talked to him in a while, but...I've been nervous about talking to him with you and Mum here," she admitted, turning her face away from him.

Her father squeezed her shoulders affectionately. "I haven't ever spoken to him except the one night you introduced us," he said thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should talk to him. I might learn something."

She looked up into her father's face to see him smirking to himself. "Well, maybe," she shrugged. "Tom's very smart, and he's observed people and happenings for years from down here. Since before you were even born, I guess."

"Yeah, fifty years," Reginald sniggered. "Definitely before my time. He still looks like a school boy, though, and I don't know why I never noticed his presence here before."

"I don't think he registered on the wards before the end of my first year, because of what happened," Estella said, biting her lip.

"What happened that year?" he asked. "I'm very curious to know what it was like for you."

She took a deep breath and began to explain all about the journal that she'd found and how she'd been used to terrorize the school. Reginald was quiet during her long story, his arm around her reassuringly. Finally, Estella sighed, closing her eyes, her head against her father's robe. "Then last year, I just met you and Mum, and I learned a lot of things that I didn't know before. Megan and Jonathan taught me about the basilisks, and I also learned from that book that we have—I brought it from the tombs."

Reginald squeezed his daughter carefully, then said, "I have so many questions to ask you, but they'll have to wait til another night. You should probably go to your dorm room now, sssweetling."

"Okay," she nodded, and the two of them got to their feet.

He slipped his arm around her as they left the sand room, and she leaned into his side slightly as they walked toward the exit closest to the dungeons. Finally, he said, "Ressst well, Essstella. I love you, my daughter. Remember what I have ssspoken to you tonight."

She promised she would, then hissed the Chamber open and left as her father closed it behind her. As she walked down the hall quickly, she wondered what to do about her problem with Nymphadora. She finally put all her thoughts aside and prepared for bed after deciding to solve her problems later, when her parents were less likely to be watching her.

The next evening, when she got back to the Common Room from the Hospital Wing, she took out a piece of parchment and began to write a letter, making sure that no one read it over her shoulder….

Nymphadora Tonks was sitting curled up on the sofa next to her father when a barn owl tapped on the window with its beak. Both her parents looked from the owl to her, and Dora waved her wand at the window, opening it for the owl, which flew directly to her. " _Dora_ ," her dad mused. "Who calls you that besides your mother and me?"

"Lots of unfortunate people," she answered, taking the letter from the owl. "But this is a Hogwarts owl, so—"

"The Parkington girl?" Andromeda glanced at her daughter.

"I think so—yes," Dora answered when she unfolded the parchment. "She came to visit me when I was in St. Mungo's last time—well, you saw her. Estella doesn't listen to her cousins—she doesn't understand the price of rebellion." She shook her head slightly, then began to read the letter.

 _Dora:_

 _I hate writing like this, but there's no other way I could talk to you. I hope you're doing better and all, and I'm really sorry about what happened. I'm not supposed to write you, or contact you at all, but I can't help it. I want to know that you're okay._

Here some words had been crossed out, and Dora frowned slightly, trying to see what had been written. Her parents watched her closely, wondering why their daughter's hair suddenly turned black.

 _Do you_ _This might_ _Is it ever hard for you to know who you really are, being able to morph and all?_ _It's confus_ _I don't know how to explain what I mean, so I hope you understand. Diggory told me to talk to you, and said that sometimes you had a hard time knowing yourself_ _too_ _._

 _I can't trust anyone I know, at all. They all want something, but I think you're different. And I can't allow it—or it isn't allowed. I don't know what to do, but I don't think you can help me with this. There's too much involved for me to continue this. I can't see you, or write you anymore. Thanks, Dora._

 _Estella Parkington_

Nymphadora stared at the letter, then sighed, leaning against her father's shoulder and folding the letter, holding it in her hand. Her father slipped his arm around his daughter and asked, "What did she say?"

"To never write or speak to her again," the black-haired girl answered promptly, and he turned to look at her straight on.

"Did she really?" Andromeda asked sharply.

"Yeah," Dora sighed. "It's her cousins' doing."

Ted looked across the room at his wife, then asked, "You won't, will you, Dora?"

Nymphadora sighed, then looked up into her dad's face. "She needs help, Dad. She's got no one: she said in the letter that she can't trust anyone—"

"If she told you not to speak to her, then you must not," her mother told her.

"Mother, I just said that she's all alone," Dora said, sitting up. "But I know she's not the one behind this: someone's got to have put her up to it. I'm sure she'd still speak to me."

"Nymphadora, you will cause her family, from her own parents to every single cousin she has, to harm her in ways that she doesn't know, and that you don't know," Andromeda said sharply. "You cannot do that to the child. Leave her alone as she has requested."

The black-haired witch scowled at her mother. "You've never even spoken to her! You wouldn't understand her at all!"

Andromeda Tonks laughed, and Ted gave his daughter a warning look. "She wouldn't speak to me," Andromeda said very quietly, dangerously. "The look she gave when she saw me at St. Mungo's—I know, Dora. I know her kind: it's best to leave her alone."

"She's not like that!" Dora snapped at her mother. "I know she's not! But I can't make sure she's all right if I just walk away!"

"Sometimes it's better to protect someone by walking away," Andromeda said, then got to her feet and left the room.

Nymphadora scowled at her mother's back, then sank back into the couch. "I swear she runs away from everything," she grumbled. "Every conversation, every argument—can't she even let me finish?"

Ted shook his head slightly. "Your mum—she doesn't want you to be the reason Estella loses her family," he said. "Like I'm your mother's reason."

Dora stared at him, lacking words.


	19. Parkington vs Lestrange

Estella sighed inwardly as Madam Pomfrey told her yet again how to properly calculate the amount of different pain-killing potions to administer without knocking the patient out for a week. "Alive and awake, but pain-free," Madam Pomfrey said briskly. "Not dazed, not in pain...as much as we can help that, anyway."

The seventh year Hufflepuff before them frowned in alarm at Estella's smirk. "Shouldn't seventh years be a lot safer than to be in the Hospital Wing so often?" she asked the matron curiously.

"Seventh year is more dangerous, mostly because they are doing harder, more involved work with magics and manipulating the world around them," Madam Pomfrey replied.

"Right," Estella agreed, moving on to the next patient. This girl had come in the night before with a badly broken arm, which Madam Pomfrey had set with Estella watching, biting her lip. "How's your pain?"

"Mostly gone," the girl said with a smile. "It was really bad last night. You looked like you wanted to run away, and I noticed that even though I was yowling at the time."

Giggling, Estella asked, "Did I really look that bad?"

The brown-haired girl chuckled, "Well, at least we both got through it. By the way, could you tell Lauren that I'm here? She doesn't know, and I was supposed to meet her in the library tonight. I don't know if she'll know yet."

"Oh," said Estella, raising an eyebrow. "This is the second time I've had a message either to her or from her passed to me since I started assisting here."

"Yes, well, she knows at least something about practically everyone here at Hogwarts," the girl answered. "By the way, I'm Corina Beary, and I'm a Ravenclaw, Lauren's year. I like to think I'm her best friend—besides Alvin, of course."

"Yeah," chuckled the dark-haired girl as Madam Pomfrey joined them and watched her measure the small amount the Ravenclaw needed. Estella breathed a small sigh of relief when it was pronounced correct and handed it to Beary, who drank it quickly.

Estella was glad when she was dismissed from the Hospital Wing, but the instant she stepped outside it, she found Meris, Karntaan, and Rohan leaning against the wall. "Um, what are you doing?" she asked them, raising an eyebrow.

They turned to look at her all at the same time, and one said, "Meris dragged us down here—" at the same time Meris said, "Well, Karnt said he wanted to—"

"We're here _now_ ," Rohan sighed, rolling his eyes at his brother and his cousin. "Parkington, we came to see you safely to the Common Room. Obviously those two agreed on this and they dragged me along. Apparently Malfoy's waiting somewhere for you, and they think the three of us will keep Malfoy from bothering you."

"Stel—" the two other Lestranges looked at her awkwardly. "Draco was going on about it to Crabbe and Goyle and we heard him. He really was going to do it—unless he was talking just to be talking."

"Well, let's just go and see what happens," Estella shrugged. "It's not as if he'd kill me in a Hogwarts corridor."

Laughing, the four walked together down the hall, several students giving them odd looks as they passed by. A First Year Hufflepuff stared at them, and Rohan turned to glare at her. "What are you looking at, Puff?" She squeaked in fright and ran off down the hall, the Lestranges and Estella laughing behind her.

Chuckling, they continued heading for the dungeons, and were a turn or two away from them when they saw Moody coming down the hall in the opposite direction. Estella distinctly heard both twins swear in English, and Meris stepped closer to her. Her bitemates immediately began to hiss about Moody and her father, and she told them to shut up without giving them a chance to try to explain their confusing ideas.

"Parkington," Moody said sharply, and all four of them stopped in their tracks, turning to him as one.

"Sir?" she said, an innocent expression on her face.

"How many serpents do you have," the man said, staring piercingly at her with his one good eye. His magical eye was wandering Merlin-knew-where all around the corridor and beyond.

"Seventeen," Estella replied truthfully, feeling extremely awkward that Moody knew she had serpents even though they were _under_ her robes! "But I don't hold all of them at the same time. They take turns."

Moody seemed to stare at her for a few moments, then said, "Got them from your dad, didn't you, Parkington. Well, well. I'll be keeping an eye on you, young one." She shivered slightly at his words, realizing he'd called her the common serpent name for small humans. "Careful of your friends," he grunted, his magical eye fixing on each Lestrange for a few very long seconds. "I'll be keeping an eye on you boys too."

When the man finally thumped on down the hall, the four students scurried away very quickly. They didn't speak until they were very close to the Common Room entrance, and Meris said, "I don't understand how he can sneak around and still make all that noise."

"Shut up," Karnt said, giving his cousin a friendly shove. "He probably detests us more than he detests Malfoy, and I don't want an irate ex-Auror after me."

"Actually, that's not what I heard from some of the Gryffs," Estella interjected apologetically. "They said that Moody told them what he hates more than anything else is a Death Eater that walked free. That's my parents and others' parents, not yours."

"Definitely not free," Rohan agreed.

"Self-incarcerated," Meris said, rolling his eyes. "So that we have no parents."

Rohan glared at the older boy. "At least _you_ have a mother," he snapped. "We only have adopted parents, and Estella hasn't really got parents, either!"

Meris scowled. "I didn't say it was easy, and I wasn't bragging. I've never had a father, and you three have, even if it wasn't your real father. At least you had an acting father. Mum's the only parent I've ever had, and it hasn't been easy for either of us."

"Come on," Estella said, giving the password in Parseltongue. "Let's just go sit down somewhere in the Common Room."

As they walked into the main part of the room, she heard someone say, "Ms. Parkington." Turning, all she saw in that direction was a portrait of Salazar Slytherin that someone had told her never spoke.

"Sir," she hissed in return, nodding to him. She walked away after the three Lestranges, taking a seat with them, all together on one couch. The boys didn't bring up their parents again, and it was only when Draco slunk into the Common Room that she remembered why they'd walked her back to the Common Room from the Hospital Wing.

With a yawn, Estella pulled out her Charms textbook and began to study for the quiz that had been announced to be some time the next week. "I'm doing the essay for Arithmancy later," she said firmly, and the boys all looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Don't mind me...just talking to myself."

"Just don't answer yourself," Meris laughed softly.

"But my answering self is much smarter," Estella sighed. "I have to ask it questions."

The twins both gave her an awkward look, and Estella shrugged, continuing to read her Charms text. "Hey, Parkington," Karnt said after a minute or two, "have you ever shared a spell?"

She glanced up from the book and gave him a disapproving look. "Are you obsessed with sharing magic, Karntaan Lestrange?" she asked him, smirking.

"Just obsessed with magic," Rohan answered for his twin. "He just likes throwing girls in with it."

"She accidentally shared a Drying Spell with me after we got off the train this year," Meris admitted. "It was nothing, but...is that the only time you've shared a spell, Stel?"

"Yeah," she said, half embarrassed. "But it was a thousand times better than when I accidentally shared magic with Draco. That was horrible."

Ro frowned. "One would think Draco would be fun to share magic with," he said.

Estella shrugged. "His magic is...just too clean. It's weird, but I know I don't like it. And it made me sick."

Karntaan laughed loudly, then chuckled, "So Malfoy makes you sick. Anything else normal, Parkington?"

She shrugged, and Rohan said, "Hey, Estella, next time we play Search and Curse, will you search with us? That would be so cool, and we could scare Draco…." He laughed at the thought.

"When is the next game, do you know?" she asked, grinning. "I would, if they'd let the three of us search together."

"After the other schools arrive," sighed Meris. "The notice was up, didn't you see it?"

"No," Estella and the twins shook their heads. "Is it soon?"

Meris nodded. "They're supposed to be arriving next weekend, and the Champions will be chosen on All Hallows' Eve," he told them. "Search and Curse will be soon after that, and I wouldn't be surprised if a few Durmstrang students were invited to join us."

Karntaan rolled his eyes. "But they'll be older, at least seventeen, because of the age thing for the Tournament. That's no fun."

"And you're all about 'fun,'" Estella sniggered. "Don't worry, Lestrange. If you're with me, we'll have 'fun.'"

"Estella, don't do anything stupid," Meris warned her, and she raised an eyebrow at him, both twins laughing again.

"I don't mean nasty fun, Meris," she sighed. "Only where Rishka's concerned." She giggled at the thought of the prefect shrieking under her Dark curse. "I bet Draco will come after me then if he hasn't already. Do you think?"

"You think too much," Meris interrupted Rohan. "Read your Charms book, and you, Ro, I know you haven't finished the essay due for Transfig."

The younger boy snorted. "As if. Got someone doing it for me, and it'll probably be a lot better than I could do it."

Estella nearly gaped at him. "What?!" she said. "Ro, that's awful! You'll never learn that way!"

"Don't complain about something most Slytherins accept, if not do themselves, Parkington," Karnt scolded her. "You should know that by now. No one would bat an eye if you had someone write that Arithmancy paper, either."

"Score for Draco," Rohan said, pretending to put down a tally mark. "He said that you really do act like a Gryffindor sometimes...and a half-blood."

"Ha," Estella scowled, then looked back at her Charms book, tuning them out.

The evening the other schools were supposed to arrive, the Hogwarts staff lined up their students by year and house to stand on the steps and great the newcomers. Estella was standing with Megan and Guage, while Stanley gave her weird looks from a couple students over. McGonagall fixed her with a stern look, and she merely raised an eyebrow innocently.

The three girls giggled together, and the boys in front of them looked back, frowning. "Don't mind us," Megan sniggered at the Lestrange cousins. "Hey, look at the—"

Estella turned to see something like a house being drawn by winged horses through the sky over the Forbidden Forest. "Think there's any chance it'll land on Gryffindor Tower?" she asked, and felt someone smack her playfully across the back.

Glancing around as those who had heard her laughed, she saw Pansy and Tracy smirking from down the row. They all watched the "house" land, and realized that it was the delegation from Beauxbatons and their "dormitory" for the year. When the headmistress of that school had left the great carriage (the house had turned out to be a huge carriage), Pansy giggled, "Look, it's another half-giant!" She added something else, Millicent and Tracy shrieking with quiet laughter.

They were all talking and giggling when someone shouted, "Look at the lake!"

Most students became silent as they turned to see the waters churning, a mist forming over the surface before a dark shape began to come into focus. "A ship," Estella whispered. "The Durmstrang ship?"

"Yes," Guage replied, her eyes glued to the boat now anchoring on the shore of the Black Lake.

"You know," Megan said softly, "the Malfoys almost sent Draco to Durmstrang, but his mum didn't want him to go so far away..."

"Yeah, she loves him," Estella rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Draco's here, not there."

Megan scowled at her, the dreamy look partially disappearing from her eyes as she turned back to watch the Durmstrang students walk toward the castle with their headmaster.

The Parkington basilisks hissed angrily as the Durmstrang students approached, and Estella asked, "What isss it, bitematesss?"

"Massster saysss the leader of that nessst betrayed the _sissshausss_ , and Massster and Missstress asss well," Kaphasa reported, slithering out of his mistress's robe and wrapping himself twice around her waist, glaring in the direction of the oncoming humans.

Several students around them stirred uncomfortably at the sight of the serpent around the young girl, and the bitemates began hissing angrily, "Death! Death! _Sissshausss_! The bitematesss will take revenge for Massster and hisss family!"

Corin Sage turned around and stared directly at Estella, who hissed, startled, "No! No, bitematesss, hisss time will come, but it isss not now."

"Revenge!" came the faraway hissing of Levir and Lises in her mind through the bitemates. "We will have our revenge, Massster saysss."

"It'sss Karkaroff," Megan told Estella. "You know that he named your parentsss to the Ministry, don't you?"

"Yesss," she answered stiffly. "I jussst think it'd be a little ssstrange if he dropped dead upon arrival at Hogwartsss!" She giggled suddenly at the thought, and Megan smirked slightly, shaking her head.

The bitemates continued to hiss wordlessly, angry and stirred up as they watched the humans greet Dumbledore before making their way up the steps, through the Entrance Hall, and into the Great Hall. The students of Hogwarts filed as orderly as the professors could make them into the Great Hall, seating themselves in the Hall according to their house. Beauxbatons decided to sit with the Ravenclaws, but Durmstrang chose Slytherin, of course.

Draco stood to greet one of the students, and Estella realized where she'd seen the Durmstrang student before. It was Viktor Krum.

Estella sighed to see Draco's smirk, and walked down the table to sit with Corin and Meris, who had split away from his cousins. "Parkington," Corin said softly, "you might want to keep your bitematesss out of sssight."

"For what purpose?" she replied. "Kaphasa makesss a decent belt, don't you think?"

"Most people wouldn't think so," Corin replied, and Estella smiled.

"I'm not most people," she answered, then grinned happily as the food appeared on the tables. She began to eat, Corin sighing and Meris smirking at her reply.

They settled down to the feast and retired to the Common Room when all was over. The students were all discussing who they thought the Champions would be, and Estella rolled her eyes at Pansy leaning over against Draco. "I bet he wishes he was old enough," she muttered to herself. "But the House of Slytherin doesn't need that embarrassment, and neither does the House of Malfoy." Giggling to herself, she was surprised when she felt someone lean against her and looked down to see Karntaan with his dark-haired head in her lap.

He smirked and whispered something, but suddenly let out a cuss word as one of the bitematesss slithered around his neck and rose to stare into his eyes. Estella smiled, resting one of her arms across the boy as her serpent rested his head against the boy's chin. Karnt was frozen in place for several minutes, then glanced up at the girl. "Tell him to get off, please?" he requested.

She nodded, and Nephisi retreated into her robes, hissing his amusement at scaring the small boy. Karnt moved to get up, and she held him down, smirking a little when he gave her an annoyed look. "Don't be scared," she told him. "You don't have to go; they won't hurt you."

"Parkington, you're mental," he said.

"So's your mum," she answered, and he sniggered, catching the attention of several students nearby. The two of them started laughing together, and Rohan joined them.

"Something funny?" he asked.

"One of her serpents threatened me, and then she tried insulting our mum," Karntaan chuckled.

Estella shifted her position, feeling the boy laugh through his back. "I wouldn't hurt you if you were only playing," she said. "Were you just playing?"

Karnt grinned and nodded, then sat up, yawning. "Good night," he said, getting up. "You shouldn't try that, Ro. She's a mean one."

"Ha," Estella said, as the two boys walked away. She rolled her eyes at them, then got to her feet and went to bed.


	20. Chapter 20

On Halloween night, Estella went to the Great Hall with Brianna and Samantha, who were excited about the Champions being chosen. They could care less about the students from Beauxbatons, but they were excited to see who would compete for Hogwarts, and for Durmstrang.

Estella frowned at the sight of the Durmstrang students, and Brianna frowned back at her. "What is your problem, Estella?"

"I hate Karkaroff," she sighed, and Samantha nodded. "He'll be brutally murdered one day, just you wait," she promised.

Lauren raised an eyebrow and decided to ignore the younger girl, but Alvin nodded in agreement, and Estella smirked in anticipation. "Invite me, if you're there."

"Hush!" hissed Pansy, who was sitting across the table with Draco.

Dumbledore had stood and was about to make an announcement. The Goblet of Fire would be choosing the Champions, and each selected Champion was to walk into a small room off the Great Hall where they would be given more instructions. Everyone waited breathlessly, turning toward the fiery goblet.

A piece of paper popped out of the flames, and Dumbledore picked it up to read it. "Fleur Delacour."

Applause rose from the students of Beauxbatons, and a silver-haired girl rose from the Ravenclaw table, heading up the row toward the small room. "Veela!" Lauren hissed in disgust, punching Alvin, who made an indignant sound, still staring after the tall, beautiful witch.

Estella scowled, then perked up as another paper landed on the floor. "Viktor Krum," Dumbledore read.

The boy rose from the Slytherin table, applause coming from not only the Durmstrang crowd for him. He slowly made his way to the room at the front of the Hall to join the others.

The Goblet of Fire was crackling yet again, and the Hogwarts students waited excitedly to see who would represent them. Dumbledore read it to those present: "Cedric Diggory."

This met with mixed cheers: some Slytherins were horrified to be represented by a Hufflepuff, yet glad it wasn't a Gryffindor. Estella shrieked excitedly and applauded loudly for the boy, while noticing that the Gryffindors were split in their acceptance of this as well. Fred and George did not look happy, but were applauding reluctantly.

Everyone stared as the Goblet of Fire lit a fourth time, and a fourth paper drifted to the ground. There was silence in the Great Hall as Dumbledore picked up the paper and unfolded it. "Harry Potter."

"What?"shouted Draco furiously, but no one heard him over the roars of disapproval from many of the others. There was so much shouting and immediate discord that Dumbledore had to place a strong Silencing Ward over the Hall.

Harry seemed stunned, Ginny saw. She knew he couldn't have put his own name in, because she'd seen Madam Pomfrey treat her own brothers when they grew beards from their own foolishness. He got to his feet and shuffled up the row to the room, disappearing inside after hesitating for several moments.

People were fuming silently now, not wanting another Silencing Ward to be placed over them. They waited a little longer, then all began to disappear toward their various houses and residences within the grounds. Estella found herself next to Theo and Blaise, both of them scowling as they walked together toward the Common Room.

"Why do rules not matter for Harry bloody POTTER!" Draco yelled in fury, and Estella felt his magic crackle from across the Common Room. "Why?"

"They won't let him, will they?" Meris began.

"They have to," Lauren answered with a sigh. "Whoever the Goblet chooses has to compete: there's no way around it."

"Do you think it's Dumbledore's doing?" Pansy asked Draco and Lauren.

Draco scowled at one of the First Years, who quickly moved from the seat Malfoy apparently wanted. "I wouldn't be surprised!" he snapped. "Potter's always been a favourite of his."

"Well, Draco, if you were a bit more lovable," Karntaan chuckled, and a Curse hit him full in the chest without warning. The boy gave a cry of pain before going silent, writhing on the floor.

Rohan glanced down at his twin, then said, "We will be supporting Cedric, of course." A small groan escaped his brother, and Ro added, "Let him go already, Draco. He gets it from his mother."

Draco glared down at the youngest Lestrange, who was still writhing even though the Curse had been lifted. "You should think before you speak, Lestrange," he said coldly.

"We'll do something," Pansy promised Draco, drawing him to a seat beside her and winding her arms around him comfortingly. He seemed to lean into her, but only for a moment before he glared at Estella.

"Leave him there!"

"I can't just leave him," she replied. "Obviously I'm going to get him off the floor. He'll be in the way!"

Draco glared at the dark-haired girl, but she turned back to Karntaan, who was staring up at her, pain obvious in his black eyes. She recalled the spells that she'd felt Percy and Narcissa use and performed one of them on the small boy before her. He gave a small sigh, and she whispered, biting her lip, "Is that better?"

He winced as he sat up. "Ow—yeah," he answered. He got up after a moment and sat down on the sofa between Estella and his twin.

After several moments, Meris came over and sat next to Estella, murmuring, "Think Malfoy's a little upset?"

"Jealous, probably," she said.

"Don't say that too loud," Meris cautioned her, and she nodded.

"So we've got Krum, Delacour, Diggory, and Potter," Rohan mused. "This is going to be quite interesting. So why are we letting Potter spoil our fun instead of going down to Hufflepuff to show them how to party?"

"Tell that to the Malfoy," Karnt told his brother. "Or you could just go down to Hufflepuff by yourself."

Rohan wrinkled his nose at the thought, and Meris grinned. "We should just all congratulate Diggory, you know, while Potter's nearby."

Estella frowned. "No, boys, Harry's probably just as surprised as we are. There isn't any way that he could have put his own name in, because Fred and George tried to do it and failed!"

"You think too highly of Potter," Rohan told her.

"No, I don't," she answered. "I just understand him a little more than you do."

"Karnt—" she sighed as he lay across her lap again. "What is it with you?"

He didn't answer, but sighed, and she placed her hand on his back. "I'd slap you, except I bet you have a rioting headache," she said, and he sighed again.

Ro frowned, his brother lying across him as well as Estella. "Why do you have to lie on top of us?"

"Merry Christmas," Karnt muttered. "Happy birthday..."

"It is Meris' birthday," Ro nodded, "but you missed him entirely."

"Oh, it is?" Estella said, looking over at Meris. "Happy Birthday!" She gave him a slight hug before returning her hand to rest on Karnt's back. "You're thirteen now, just like me, right?"

The boy nodded, and Ro muttered, "Dark Lord's been gone for thirteen years."

Meris shook his head, glancing around Estella. "Is that all you think about, Ro?"

"That and getting the Mark," Estella teased the boys. "And Karnt's just as bad—"

"I've got an idea," came a reply from the said twin. "We should teach Parkington how to share magic. After all, it is All Hallows' Eve, and it'll be fun!"

"Karnt," Rohan sighed, and Estella raised an eyebrow. "We?"

Karnt turned to smirk up at her. "Yeah. You, me, and Ro. I imagine you have some experience with twin magic?"

"Why are you volunteering mine?" complained the older twin as Meris rolled his eyes at them and got up, leaving them to themselves.

"Come up to our dorm," Karnt said softly, sitting up. "You can go ahead, Ro, or join us later." He got up and looked down at Estella. "Coming?"

Estella hesitated for a moment, then stood, her heart pounding as she walked with the Lestrange across the Common Room and up into the boys' dorm. Her magic crackled slightly, and she saw Karntaan smirk, but didn't ask questions as he took her hand, his own magic crackling against her fingers. He led her into the second year boys' room, then released her hand for a moment.

She was turning back to see what he was up to when she felt an arm wrap around her. Before she knew what the boy had done, she was on the bed they'd been closest to, and he was halfway on top of her, magic flowing from his hands and into her. She gave a little gasp, and he smirked, moving closer to her. "Give back," he murmured into her ear, his breath tickling her neck. "It's called _shared_ magic for a reason."

Estella slipped her right arm around the boy, her magic ready at her fingertips, and she instinctively knew what to do. Her magic ran through her arms and into Karntaan, and she pulled him closer, their magic drawing them together. He laughed with triumph, a ward going up over the bed. She loved the feeling of his magic: wild, fierce, and untamed, and was intensifying her own flow of magic when she felt another magic.

She and Karntaan both moaned as Rohan's magic joined theirs, heat building rapidly between the three until the twins threw off their outer robes and ordered Estella to do the same. She obeyed in haste, her bitemates hissing in ecstasy as they basked in the magical environment around them.

Rohan was on Estella's other side, against her back, his arm across her and his hand on his brother, magic crackling directly from him to her. Karntaan pressed his lips hotly against her neck, and Estella cried out at the strong magic that now completely surrounded them.

"Magic is who we are," Rohan whispered in her ear, almost growling. "This is who we are, Stel." His magic flowed over her, fast and dangerous, and she gave in to it, allowing herself to share and drink in as much of their magic as possible.

All three were panting for breath when they'd finished, and there was a visible haze over them. "Do you think you learned anything?" Karnt sniggered in a whisper, and Rohan grinned tiredly, watching Estella's face from her other side.

She gave them a small smirk, exhaustedly lying on her side with both boys pressed against her, looking down into her face. "A little bit," she managed, and they lay back down on either side of her, both letting go of her, but staying close by all the same.

"You know that everyone will be able to tell that we've been sharing magic tomorrow, don't you?" Rohan muttered, and his twin grinned up at the ceiling.

"Well, it's too late to worry about that," he sighed happily. "They can think what they want. Parkington had to know this—and I wouldn't mind repeating it, either."

"Prat," Estella said to his face, and he yawned.

"Well, at least reinforce the wards," Ro told his brother.

Karnt groaned. "No, you do it!"

A grin slowly spread across Rohan's face. "Let's share the spell. Hey, Parkington—!"

"What?" she sighed, yawning. "Yes, I'll help you with the ward."

"But—" Rohan was about to mention that she didn't know the ward when she grabbed his hand and his brother's hand, magic ready. The three set the ward together, and then released the excess magic carefully back into the Elementals.

"What Elemental were we using?" Estella asked suddenly, jerking out of her half-asleep state.

"Karntaan was using Earth, I was using Fire, and you were using Air," Rohan answered her before yawning and getting comfortable. "We're just as compatible as Karntaan thought we'd be."

Karnt smirked, and Estella gave him a small grin as they all settled down to sleep.

* * *

Estella woke in the morning to her bitemates talking about her and the boys. Tasarek was coiled around Rohan's wrist and halfway across the boy's chest, hissing at his bitemates, "Thisss one isss more powerful! The magic isss ssstronger within him!"

"And torn," his sister Sadura added. "Sssince before Missstress met him and hisss sssame."

"How could the magic be ssstrong and torn?" Teneski asked, confused, poking her head out of her mistress's sleeve. "Torn magic isss hurt, not ssstrong."

"It hasss alwaysss been torn," Nephisi said. "Icythan saysss."

Ananke was coiled up on the other twin, tickling his cheek with her tongue and hissing with laughter when he reached up to rub his cheek over and over again in his sleep. "Ssstupid young one," she said. "Perhapsss it doesss not bother Missstress's matesss if they have alwaysss had torn magic."

Tasarek spoke up in protest. "These are not matesss; they are merely _tsez_ , bitematesss."

"But Missstress—!"

"Missstress doesss not have a mate," Teneski said firmly. "Missstress isss young, and wantsss to play firssst."

Estella couldn't help but giggle at her littlest basilisk's thoughts, and all the bitemates hissed, "Missstress!" in excitement and slithered back to her, taking their places on her body once again. "You're awake!" Ananke accused, coiling around her mistress's waist.

The dark-haired girl sat up slightly, touching her bitemates gently as she welcomed them back. "Yesss, I am," she smiled. "I've got to be to classes sssoon, and I think I'll ssstop by the kitchens to get breakfast. Do the bitematesss want breakfast?"

" _Hisssusss!_ " they all demanded at the same time.

"Okay," Estella grinned, then slipped out of the bed and the ward very carefully. Leaving the Lestrange twins alone, she picked up her robe, turned to slip it on, and nearly ran into Meris Lestrange.

"Oh!" she gasped, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Shared a little magic, Parkington?" he said softly.

Estella bit her lip and nodded, but couldn't help grinning. She left the boys' dorm, heading across the Common Room into the girls' dorm. The instant she walked into her dorm room, she found five wands pointed at her, and Brianna and Samantha cried, "Estella!" in unison.

Megan stared at her, rubbing sleep from her eyes, then said, "Was it good? What's their magic like?"

"Wild and fiery," Estella sighed, then grinned and nodded. "It was fun. But I've got to run. See you in class."

"Are you crazy?" Guage demanded of her. "We've got Defense today! And you're walking around like you just went on a Death Eater raid with the boys' parents!"

"As if _you_ know what that's like," Riker told her.

"I've heard stories!" Guage snapped. "Moody's definitely going to be suspicious, Parkington. Your magic is saturated with the twins'. It's going to take you at least a week to recover, if not two!"

Estella gave a little shrug, grabbed some clothes and headed off to get a ten minute shower before breakfast, which she'd miss, but grab in the kitchens on her indirect route to class. Minutes later, she had entered the kitchens and was telling a house-elf what she wanted to have for breakfast.

The elf nodded at her, and said, "Dobby will have it for Ms. Estella right away." Then with a _Pop!_ he was gone.

She stared at the spot where he had been, very surprised. Ron had talked about Dobby a little bit, but she'd never seen him before, if it was him. Determining to make sure, she stopped him from leaving the moment he came back with her tray. "Didn't you used to belong to the Malfoys?" she asked him.

The elf peered at her in surprise and fear, then squeaked, "Used to! But Dobby has no master now! Dobby is free! Free to come and go as he pleases!"

Estella nodded, then took the tray, but the elf continued to stare at her. "Speak your thoughts, if you so wish," she told him, while Transfiguring the raw meat into rodents for her bitemates.

"How did you know, Ms. Estella?" the elf queried, half nervously.

"I've heard some of the Gryffs talk about you," Estella shrugged, watching the basilisks crunch their prey happily. "Thanks, elf." She gathered her bitemates, then stuffed her breakfast into her bookbag and hurried from the room.

Outside, she barely avoided three or four students in the halls, who all looked at her strangely. Estella ignored them and walked as fast as possible to her Arithmancy class, sitting down next to Stanley, who scooted away from her immediately.

"Parkington," the boy said sternly, "you're reeking with magic. What in the name of Merlin did you do?!"

"Had a party last night," she said breathlessly, seeing their professor eye her in trepidation. "Got a little carried away with the boys…how was the party in Gryffindor?"

"Wild," Kefira answered. "Everyone is really excited, but glad that we don't have to depend on Diggory to take Hogwarts to victory."

"I can't believe that he put his name in," Stanley shook his head. "And the kid denies it! It's almost easy to agree with Malfoy about Potter now: he doesn't think rules apply to him, the big-head."

Estella frowned. "I don't think he could have," she said. "Because Fred and George tried it, and it didn't work. Surely if they couldn't, Harry couldn't."

Ben scowled and replied, "Well, Harry _did_. And I think most of the school is going to be cheering for Cedric, the true Hogwarts champion."

Fervent agreement echoed around the room, and Estella nodded, sighing. Poor Harry. She couldn't help but believe that it hadn't been the boy's fault, and planned to go up to Gryffindor later to see what was happening. Their professor brought the class to order, but most of the students were distracted, thinking about Potter and the Triwizard Tournament.

* * *

After Arithmancy, Estella walked to the Defense classroom with Stanley, Ben, and Kefira. As she entered the classroom, everyone looked around at her, and several students looked a bit scared. Selwyn smirked at her. "Bloody hell, Parkington."

"Oh, it wasn't bloody," she giggled, and the Charleston girls laughed.

"Too good for that, eh," Moody said, and Estella looked up at him, remembering that he was there. "Just like your mother."

Stanley was frowning between them, confused, but Estella didn't reply, a small smirk stuck on her lips. Creevey frowned at her as well, and began to speak, but she interrupted, "If you've got questions about me, I think Finch-Fletchley could answer them better than I in a short time." The boy didn't continue, and Moody brought the class to order, distracting them from Estella.

After class, Estella prepared to leave quickly and walked out, Megan right behind her. "Honessstly," she hissed after the dark-haired girl. "You could have been less obviousss about your fun on All Hallows' Eve, Essstella."

"How do you think?" Estella answered. "I wanted to experience sharing magic, and so I did."

"With _two_ people, not one, and with _twinsss_ , to top it off," Megan retorted. "Twinsss whose magic isss explicitly _Dark_!"

"So what'sss wrong with that?" Estella asked, looking over at the redhead when she came alongside her.

"Jussst one can cause a temporary change in your magic," Megan answered sharply, "but two causes a more definite alteration! Twin magic isss very much alike, usually, and isss often volatile and unpredictable. It isss too easily shared, and combinesss too easily. You mussst be more careful, especially because you are a Parssselmouth. Too much shared magic, and it will cause your other to underssstand Parssseltongue!"

Estella gave Megan a surprised expression, then said, "Oh. Great."

Megan sighed. "You're so innocent, Stel. It's hard to know—"

"Estella!"

"Parkington, what have you done?!"

"Oh, Merlin—"

Alvin, Lauren, and Draco stopped mid-stride, staring at the dark-haired girl. Megan stopped, standing beside Estella quietly. "Isn't it obvious?" Estella rolled her eyes. "The boys and I had a little party last night—"

"A _little_ party?" Alvin asked incredulously.

"A party for whom?" Draco sneered. "Potter?"

"You say the stupidest things," Estella told him, shaking her head. "You think so highly of your cousins, Draco darling." She walked on past him, and Megan caught up after a few minutes. "I'm on my way to the Hospital Wing to report for duty," she told the redhead. "Don't know if Madam Pomfrey will let me."

"Yeah, because you're giving off the aura and magic of a Lestrange," Megan sniggered. "You know, it is funny that you would be so compatible with the boys. I've heard that your mother and their mother were quite compatible too."

Estella made a disgusted sound, and the redhead blushed furiously. "Not like _that_ , Estella," she said sharply. "I mean, to share spells and help bring down their enemies together."

The dark-haired girl sighed. "Sometimes I wish I could see that," she told Megan, "and other times, I just know that I'd be sick, or want to save one of their victims."

"It would be hard to save any of their mother's victims, I'd say," the red-haired girl answered. "She was never one to be trifled with. Every Death Eater was at least wary, if not afraid of her."

"I wish I could be that way in Slytherin," Estella stated firmly. "I'd like to have Draco so scared of me that he wouldn't dare look cross-eyed at me!"

The Sage giggled in spite of herself. "Oh, Stel, you shouldn't talk that way about him," she said. "He wouldn't be that bad if you wouldn't retaliate."

Estella snorted as they paused before the doors to the Hospital Wing. "And I should just let him think he can control everyone and everything?"

Megan gave the girl a searching look. "You've lived under a rock if you think he and his parents _don't_ have a huge influence on our world, Estella."

"I guess you're right," the dark-haired girl sighed, then opened the door, heading inside to find Madam Pomfrey.

The matron took one look at her, then said, "Go to my office. I'll be there in a few minutes."

She obeyed, and moments later, Madam Pomfrey entered the small room, motioning for the girl to join her at her cauldron. "I imagine you are discovering the fun of being a witch," said the matron, "but you must remember to keep your magic pure. This means you must be very careful to not share magic so much that your magical signature is altered. You need to be able to do spells and charms without leaving others' magic behind as well as yours."

Estella nodded, looking straight into the matron's face. "Right now," the woman continued, "you would leave that Dark magic residing with yours on every patient I would have you assist me with. That cannot be. When you share magic, you must stop before it combines with yours, or you must release it completely back to the Elementals. If you need this explained further, ask one of your Slytherin friends: they'll probably all understand it. Now, Ms. Parkington, come back in a week, and I'll check on your state of magic to see if it's back to normal. Good day."

The woman left the room once again, and Estella sighed, rubbing her right hand over her forehead as she pushed back her hair. She left the office and the Hospital Wing, wondering what to do with herself if she couldn't be at the Hospital Wing and didn't want to go back to the dungeons so early. She thought about catching up with Megan, but decided against it, stopping in an empty classroom to charm her hair red.

Ginny was walking up toward Gryffindor when someone stepped into her path, and she scowled at her cousin Pansy. "What do you want?" she snapped, annoyed with the girl.

Pansy glared at her. "You're an embarrassment," she hissed through her teeth. "You do nothing but shame your family—our family—"

"Ginny!" came a voice, and a brown-haired girl hurried up to her, nearly knocking her over in her surprise. "Where've you been? I couldn't find you—come with me, quickly."

"Hermione," Ginny sputtered, practically being dragged away from the dark-haired Slytherin who'd been railing at her. "Hermione, what's happened? What's going on?"

The Gryffindor girl led her straight up into Gryffindor, up to her dorm room, and Ginny watched as Hermione paced back and forth, wringing her hands. "Hermione, stop," Ginny said, biting her lip. "It can't be that bad!"

"Yes, it can," Hermione hissed, turning to face Ginny. "Harry didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire, and everyone believes he did, except me! Ron doesn't believe him either—Ginny, Ron won't even talk to Harry! I can't get Ron to see that Harry wouldn't do something like this, especially because he could die in the Tournament, and Ron just won't understand!"

"Oh," said Ginny as Hermione sank down on the bed beside the redhead and buried her face in her hands. "Well, Ron will come around eventually, but he has to be jealous first," she told Hermione knowingly. "Ron has a problem with overly famous people."

"Yeah," Hermione sighed, "and I told Harry, but neither he nor Ron will budge. They just won't talk because Ron won't admit to anything and Harry isn't to blame." Ginny shrugged, and Hermione said, "Won't you go talk to him, Ginny? Tell Ron that Harry didn't do it? Maybe he'll listen to you."

Ginny shook her head. "He probably won't listen to anyone at this point," she answered. "He'll just get mad at them, and if they yell at him, he'll be even more upset. Just leave him alone. He learns that he's being stupid more quickly if he's left to himself."

Hermione bit her lip. "How long do you think it'll take him?"

"Until Harry is in visible danger from the Tournament," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "Ron won't get it until it's right before him. He never does."

"Will you come tell Harry you believe him, at least?" Hermione said softly. "He needs encouragement."

"From me?" scoffed Ginny, but shrugged and allowed the brown-haired girl to lead the way out of the room.

They joined Harry in a corner of the Common Room by himself, and he looked from Hermione to Ginny. "Oh, hi, Ginny," he said uncomfortably, then looked down at the Astronomy chart he'd been studying.

Ginny tilted her head slightly. "I believe you didn't put your name in," she said quietly. "And I've told all my friends who've complained about it that you didn't, too."

The boy looked up again and gave her a small smile. "Thanks," he said, brushing his hair out of his eyes nervously.

"Good luck in the Tournament, anyway," she told him earnestly. "I think you will be okay, at least, with Hermione to train you." Ginny grinned at the half-embarrassed look on the girl's face.

"Thanks," Harry muttered, and she curled up in the third chair where Ron should have been, talking with Hermione and Harry.

"Of course," she answered, touching the serpent at her throat when Teneski stirred, hissing something about Hermione being a stranger to magic. "Her parentsss have no magic," she told the bitemates. "But she doesss, and she isss good."

"Missstress's sssire disapprovesss of her," Sadura said with dignity.

"Ginny doesn't," the redhead said matter-of-factly, and the bitemates didn't reply to that.

Harry shook his head slightly, then said, "Why do you have so many serpents, Ginny?"

"They're all from the same nest and I didn't want to separate them," she answered. "I got them when we were visiting Bill in Egypt: I found them in one of the tombs. They're with me all the time: they're very smart."

"Yesss, Missstress," the bitemates agreed. "Smarter than thisss Serpent-killer."

"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?" Harry said to them, and they all hissed in amusement, through their indignation.

"Never," Tasarek agreed. "Missstress had to get another basilisssk after that."

Harry glanced at Ginny in shock and confusion. "Another basilisk?" he asked.

Ginny bit her lip. "These serpents are specialized basilisks that do not kill with their eyes," she told Harry. "I know, because Hermione herself looked into Icythan's eyes and didn't die."

"That's really nice of you, Ginny," Hermione said, and Ginny gave her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry," Ginny sighed as Ananke slithered into her lap, and she stroked her smooth, cool scales. "I thought that they'd not look at anyone they didn't intend to kill, and I guess I was just lucky they're such special serpents."

"Special," Nephisi said indignantly. "We are Parkington basilisssks! There are none like usss!"

"Not a single one?" Ginny teased, and the bitemates hissed wordlessly at her. "Not even the red-haired mistress's bitematesss?"

Sadura joined her sister in the girl's lap. "No!" she declared, rubbing her head affectionately against Ginny's hand. "Missstress hasss special bitematesss!"

Harry grinned at them, then said, "Careful about them. The others might not like to see them around here. And I think I'm going to go on up to my room. Thanks for your confidence, Ginny. I'm glad Hermione isn't the only one."

She nodded, and Harry was gone. Hermione immediately began reading one of the books she must have gotten recently from the library. Ginny reluctantly began to work on researching one of the counter-curses that Moody had warned them they might need during their next Defense class. It didn't seem but a few minutes later when Hermione said, "Wow, it's nearly ten o' clock. You should stay in my dorm room tonight. I haven't seen you around here in a little while: I guess you're always out with your other house friends."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed with a sigh. "Most of them are upset with me right now."

"Even the Hufflepuffs?" Hermione asked in concern, gathering her books.

"If they're not, they should be," she told the older girl, getting to her feet quickly.

The two walked up to Hermione's room, Ginny seeing Marlene and Marianne before quickly closing the door to the fourth year girls' room. Hermione frowned at the beds, and Ginny said, "I'll just sleep on the floor."

"You will not," Hermione told her sharply. "What kind of a hostess would do that? You can sleep...there." A cot appeared between Hermione's bed and the wall, no walk space around it. "Sorry there's no room there. Lavender and the others have a lot of their things in this room and I've had this corner since first year."

"It's fine," Ginny reassured the girl, then got ready for bed, making sure to keep her serpents hidden from the other girls. As she crawled into bed, Crookshanks jumped up onto her bed and began to sniff around.

The bitemates hissed nervously, and Ginny said, "Hi, Crookshanks." The cat looked up at the red-haired girl, and Ginny added, "You know me. But you might not know my serpents. They're afraid you might attack them, but they'll leave you alone if you don't mind them. You could sleep here on the bed, though. It'll be warm, and they like to be warm."

Hermione pulled her blankets up over herself, then said, "Don't bother them, Crookshanks. They won't bother you: Ginny's got them safe and sound."

The bitemates stayed close to Ginny, who listened to them talk about Crookshanks and Hermione and Harry until she fell asleep.


	21. Chapter 22

_A four year old Ginny lay in her toddler bed, calling for her father, sniffling as she tried to keep back tears. She'd awakened from a terrible dream about the woman she called mother, and was afraid that the woman would come hurt her if she made too much noise. "Daddy," she sniffled, rubbing her eyes with both fists._

 _In her dream, the woman had yelled at her for hurting Ron, but she didn't remember ever hurting him like that. Daddy had been kind in her dream, though. She wanted him. "Daddy!" she called more loudly._

 _Ginny knew that if she went to her dad's room, her mum would be there too, but Ginny didn't want her mum. She didn't want to hurt Ron, and she hadn't, and she didn't want to be spanked for being too noisy, like Ron was. He never got in trouble because he was mum's favourite._

 _"_ _Daddy!" Ginny called, a slight desperation in her tone. She scrubbed away her single tear that escaped, unwilling to be caught crying again. Ron always made fun of her for crying. As she sniffled to keep back the rest of her tears, she heard footsteps and became completely silent._

 _Someone stood at the doorway of the room, looking in. The shadow wasn't father-shaped, Ginny realized, her eyes slightly open. She pretended to be sleeping until she heard the boy say, "Ginny? Ginny, are you okay?"_

 _"_ _Bill?" she questioned, sitting up at the sound of his voice._

 _"_ _And me, Charlie," came her second oldest brother's voice. "We heard you..."_

 _She held out her hands toward them, and Bill walked into the room quietly, coming over to her and sitting down on the bed carefully. Ginny crawled onto the fifteen year old boy's lap, snuggling into his arms. "I want Daddy," she whispered, her hands clutching her brother's robe. "Please."_

 _Bill cuddled his sister close and murmured, "He's sleeping, and we couldn't wake him without waking Mum, too. You can stay with me and Charlie."_

 _"_ _Daddy!" sniffled Ginny in disappointment, resting her head tiredly against her brother's chest. "I want Daddy," she begged, and Bill sighed._

 _"_ _Ginny, listen," he said softly. "Dad's going to wake up in a little bit, okay? If we go in Dad's room before then, we'll wake up Mum, and she'll start yelling at us. We'll get Dad for you, but we've got to wait a little bit."_

 _Charlie sat down on the bed beside them, and Ginny looked up at his face. "Charlie?" she said. "What's wrong?"_

 _The younger boy seemed troubled, and he reached over, squeezing her hand. "I love you, Sis," he told her. "I just—I'm sorry about Mum, and everything."_

 _Bill gave his brother a warning look, and Charlie looked away. Ginny cuddled closer to Bill until they heard a door shut somewhere in the house. She sat up, and Bill stood, holding her close as he approached the door, waiting to see who was walking down the stairs._

 _When Arthur Weasley came into view, Bill said, "Hey, Dad, come see Ginny a moment."_

 _The man stopped, then headed for the nursery door, pushing it open. "Daddy!" she cried softly, reaching out for him desperately, her eyes pleading for him to hold her. "Daddy, I had a bad dream and Mummy was mean and I'm scared," she whimpered into his neck, clinging to him. "Ron was yelling and Mum was mad—she hurt me. Daddy, take me with you, please?"_

 _"_ _Ginny, sweetling," Arthur said comfortingly, "I'm sorry about your dream, but it probably wasn't real, and your mother isn't mad at you."_

 _"_ _May I go with you?" Ginny pleaded, looking into her father's eyes and giving him her best four-year-old's pout. "Pwease, Da?"_

 _"_ _Ginny," he sighed, then saw Bill's slight nod. "Okay. But you'll have to be very quiet until we're gone, okay?"_

 _"_ _Yes, Dad," she whispered promptly, allowing him to dress her and brush her hair for the day. Arthur hugged his two oldest sons goodbye, then lifted his adopted daughter into his arms and disapparated to his work at the Ministry._

Ginny woke up, the feeling of apparition fading as she realized she was in Hermione's dorm room. Her dream about her dream had been a real memory, she thought with fascination. She'd just dreamed about a real memory of her dreaming about a real memory. "That's nice," she muttered to herself, suddenly recalling how many times Mr. Weasley had taken her to work with him when she was a little girl.

Crawling out of bed without disturbing Hermione proved to be easier than she'd thought, and Ginny dressed quietly in the darkness, her bitemates guiding her if she needed it. She grabbed her things and left the room, musing that she'd done a lot of sneaking out of dark rooms the last two nights.

By the time she was back to the Slytherin dungeons as Estella, there were more than just the early-rising sixth and seventh years in the Common Room. Estella got closer to the groups and realized that they were gathered around Pansy, who was handing out something—and giggling, as always.

"Here's Estella," sniggered one of Pansy's friends. "Give her one."

Corin's little sister grinned and walked up to her Parkington cousin, pinning a badge on her chest. Estella looked down and read it upside down: "Support Cedric Diggory, the REAL Hogwarts champion." She shrugged at Pansy's friends. "Is that funny?"

Millicent reached over and pressed the badge, which changed to read: "Potter STINKS."

Estella gaped at it as the others howled with laughter, and without hesitating, pulled it off her robe and pressed it back into another Slytherin's hand. "I'm not wearing that," she said firmly.

Pansy raised an eyebrow, smirking. "What's wrong, _Ginny_? Been around too many Gryffs since I last saw you? I saw you walk off with Potter's Mudblood friend."

"Yes, I did," Estella said wryly. "I'd walk off with anyone rather than listen to you tell the entire corridor that I'm a disgrace to the family."

"Well, you _are_ ," Pansy snapped.

"I'm glad," she said calmly, though anger was racing through her body. "Disown me so I can go hang out with Dora in _peace_." Estella walked away from her cousins and their friends in silence.

 _Estella!_ A voice shouted in her head, and the girl had an instant headache, both hands going to her head as her bitemates hissed in indignation at the attack. There were no other words, and Estella sank down on her bed, ignoring Brianna's and Guage's glances of concern.

She didn't reply to her mother's furious reprimand, but sat on her bed silently, holding her aching head in her hands. No one spoke to her, but left for their Saturday morning activities or studies. "Ow," she moaned softly, curling up in her bed, her head still aching.

More than anything else at the moment, Estella just wanted someone to hold her and tell her that everything would be all right. Nothing would be all right: there was no one. She couldn't talk to anyone who would understand because Meretta would Curse her. Clutching her teddy bear as she put up her ward, Estella closed her eyes.

 _Dora,_ she thought painfully, wanting to see the girl, yet being afraid to see her. _I need help. Can't anyone help me?_

She thought of her summer, and of Narcissa. _No chance,_ she decided. The girl understood that Narcissa would never encourage her in something that her mother disapproved of. Narcissa was perfect, Estella thought, something that she herself could never attain. _I wish I could be perfect like you, Cissa_.

Estella sighed, lying there as her bitemates slithered over her, hissing softly, though they said no words. Soon, the door opened, and an owl fluttered in, landing on one of her bedposts and hooting softly. She broke the ward, then froze, seeing Megan in the doorway. The owl swooped down to Estella, dropping its message in her lap before flying up to the bedpost again. She put the ward back up immediately, and Megan disappeared on the other side of the dormitory door.

Grasping the letter, Estella realized that there were two there, both from her brothers. She opened the one from Percy first, having missed his conversation the longest.

 _Dear little sister,_

 _I hope you're doing well in classes and all so far this year. Make sure you study hard and keep your head up. I've been quite busy recently, with the Tournament, and I might be coming to Hogwarts to visit, depending on what Mr. Crouch wishes for me to do. Charlie's already visiting, so I assume you've talked with him—_

Ginny stared at the letter. Charlie was at Hogwarts? She hadn't seen him!

 _Anyway, Bill will be joining you when he can get a few days off, especially now that Potter's a champion. I will warn you that Mum will be visiting around if not at the same time as Bill, so beware. I don't know if Dad will be able to get time off from work or not, although I would hope so._

 _I miss you a lot, especially being there at school with you. I feel that I was always able to protect you better at school, even though you didn't want me to, and even hexed me once in a while. If you need to talk to me, write, or let me know a time to Fire-call. I still want to be available if you need me. It was never my plan to let you face your problems on your own, but it worked out that way for a long while. I want to end that._

 _Love you, Sis,_

 _Percy Weasley_

Estella sighed a little, then opened the other letter, which was from Charlie.

 _Hey,_

 _Where are you? I'll be down by the lake on the other side. Meet me there whenever you get free of whatever you're doing._

 _Charlie_

The girl checked the parchment for a date, but it had none, although it definitely smelled new. She folded the letters again, then slipped it into her pocket, putting her cloak on again before she left the room. Estella walked quickly through the Common Room, ignoring the comments of the group she'd angered earlier.

When she was nearly to the Entrance Hall, she stopped for a second and charmed her hair red before walking out into the grounds. She hastened toward the other side of the lake, passing Lauren and Alvin, who were sitting beneath a tree, snogging. Ignoring them, she walked on, soon spotting her red-haired brother skipping stones out into the lake. She broke into a run and shouted his name.

He picked her up and swung her around, laughing, the two ignoring anyone that happened to be nearby. "You got my letter!"

"Yes!" Ginny said excitedly. "I'm so glad you're here!" She pulled away and looked up at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to visit for a bit, and then I'll be back at the end of the month to watch the first task of the Tournament," Charlie grinned, the two sitting down by the shore. "Bill's going to be here, and Mum, and maybe Dad, if he can get the time off. It's going to be nasty."

"Oh?" she questioned, but he shook his head.

"I dunno exactly, but I'll tell you more later," he said. "Can't right now. Are you going to go to Hogsmeade later today?"

Ginny nodded, and Charlie gave her a strange look before nodding as well. "You really are up super early for a Saturday," he mused.

She sighed, then snuggled into his side so that he would put his arm around her again. "I had a dream that woke me up early this morning," she told him.

"A good dream?" Charlie inquired hopefully.

"Yeah," Ginny nodded. "It just reminded me of how much Dad used to take me to work with him. I miss that."

"So...what happened this summer when Dad took you to work and you disappeared?" the boy asked. "I heard Mum was furious."

Ginny smiled slightly. "The girls' mother picked me up from Dad's office, and I went to their house for a little while. I saw Megan, Draco, and some of my other cousins."

Charlie gave her a half-disgusted look. "That's right. . . you are something like his third cousin, right?"

"Second once removed," she agreed. "And you're my third cousin, if I ever decided to claim you."

"Hey!" protested the boy, and she laughed, squeezing him slightly.

"You're my brother and I wouldn't trade you for anything," she told him firmly.

A few minutes later, Charlie said, "Ooh!"

Estella glanced around at the two boys that were nearby. "Yes, those are the Lestrange twins."

"I wasn't talking about them," Charlie said. "I was going to ask how your apprenticeship—wait, _who_ are they?"

"They're Karntaan and Rohan: you know, Bellatrix and Rodolphus' sons," Ginny grinned up at her brother. "They're so cool. I shared magic with them two days ago."

Charlie stared at her. "Is _that_ why your magic feels like you suddenly collided with a Dark wizard? Are you crazy?"

She rolled her eyes. "No," she hissed. "Why does everyone keep asking me that? And yes, that's why it feels that way. Madam Pomfrey told me not to come back to the Hospital Wing for a week, or until my magic had cleared."

"You can change yourself by sharing too much magic," Charlie warned her severely. "You've got to be careful about it, especially around magic like what you seem to have acquired. No wonder you feel Dark, Ginny."

"Well, I'll be more careful next time," she promised. "Now come on: we're supposed to gather in the Entrance Hall at ten."

"I can't be seen," he replied. "I've got to leave here, then go directly into Hogsmeade. I'll get weird looks, and I don't want the other boys to see me."

Ginny nodded, then scrambled to her feet. "Okay," she said. "I'll meet you in The Three Broomsticks, all right?"

Charlie agreed, then got up and began walking across the grounds toward the edge of the wards. Ginny raced for the castle, grinning happily. She found herself near Draco, Vincent, and Greg, and sidled away from them, trying to also stay away from Hermione, who mysteriously seemed to be alone. Filch took note of all the students going to Hogsmeade, and they were off to the small town.

She hurried down the streets, avoiding her cousins, and immediately rejoined Charlie outside The Three Broomsticks. The redhead grinned at her, then said, "I am supposed to meet some of the seventh year Hufflepuffs here. You won't mind joining me, will you? We're going to have a bit of a celebration for Diggory."

"Okay," she sighed. "You should have told me earlier. I would have found something else to do in the meantime."

"But I wanted you to be here," Charlie said with a grin. "I can't wait to see them—Diggory was only a third year when I was here last. Now he's a champion."

"Yeah," Ginny nodded. "I'm kind of glad for him, but it's rather awkward too, because Fred, George, and Ron can't stand him."

Charlie led her into the building, adding, "Because of the Quidditch feud. I know: Ron told me over the summer. They haven't grown up enough to exist safely in the world."

Giggling, Ginny followed her brother to the far corner booth, where two or three Hufflepuffs were already sitting. "Well, well!" said one of them with a laugh. "Charlie Weasley! Join us—what brings you here?"

"Business near home," Charlie shrugged, sliding in next to one of the boys. "How's everything so far this year, Blane?"

"They canceled Quidditch for the Tournament," the brown-haired boy answered, shrugging, "but Cedric's going to bring home the glory for us anyway."

"Nothing like a little pride," Charlie nodded.

"Weasley," the dark-haired Hufflepuff said, frowning, "it's about time Hufflepuff got some of the limelight, and not even Potter should be able to keep us from it." Charlie nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't think of it," he said. "Hello, Diggory."

The handsome seventh year looked to the red-haired boy and smiled. "Hello, Charlie. Nice to see you again." Cedric slid into the booth next to his dark-haired friend, the other boys walking off to get their drinks. "I guess you got our notice, then."

"Yeah," Charlie grinned. "Thrilled you remembered me."

"Couldn't forget the one who set off dungbombs in our Common Room," Diggory chuckled. "Petty revenge."

"That was Tonks' idea," Charlie protested. "She threatened to do it to us, and then we lost, so she deserved it!"

One of the newcomers shook his head. "You always blame it on her."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "I'm telling you: she's a prank mastermind."

"Oi, Diggory!"

Ginny stared at the blonde boy standing before their table. _What's he want?_ she thought in annoyance, scowling at Draco.

Cedric Diggory looked up at the fourth year and said politely, "Hello, Malfoy."

"We Slytherins just want you to know that we'll be cheering for you during the Tournament," Draco said, almost carelessly. "It should have been obvious. And to show our support—" he proudly displayed his "Support Cedric Diggory" badge.

"Cool," said a couple of the others, and Ginny bit her lip slightly. _That wasn't all._

Draco pressed his badge, his smirk intensifying. "Potter Stinks" shone in green on the badge pinned to Draco's cloak. Some of the boys at the table were laughing, but Diggory didn't even smile as Malfoy handed over a handful of the badges. Charlie nudged Ginny hard, and she looked to see a dark-haired girl approaching the table, her face twisting strangely…

Horror dawned on Ginny. It was Dora: she was standing directly behind the blonde boy, silently mimicking him while she smirked. Barely able to keep from grinning, Ginny watched the two would-be cousins stand there at the table.

"Charlie," Blane said, offering him a badge. All of them were ignoring Nymphadora in silent agreement.

"Ah, no thanks," Charlie shrugged.

"Of course you wouldn't, Weasley," Malfoy sneered.

"And I won't," Cedric said quickly before Draco could continue. "That would be really arrogant."

Draco was still eyeing Charlie. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be celebrating with Potter?"

Charlie frowned at Draco. "My business, Malfoy, not yours."

"It's not as if he wanted to celebrate," Cedric said. "He's not even here. His friend's over there by herself."

"The Mudblood," Draco muttered.

"If you've got to talk like that, you can leave," the dark-haired boy said firmly.

"It's a Malfoy malady," Ginny spoke up for the first time. "He can't help himself talking like that."

Draco sneered at her, then whirled around and plowed directly into the black-haired witch standing behind him. The blonde boy was so surprised that he bounced off the witch's body and stumbled backward into the table, nearly upsetting the drinks on it.

"Body check," Charlie snorted with laughter. "Full body check." Ginny was shaking with silent giggles, watching the back of Draco's head as he stared at the dark-haired witch who was nearly two heads taller than himself.

"You—" the next sound that escaped Draco made it apparent that he'd realised who was standing there, giving him a look of superiority and disdain that Ginny had almost always seen on a Malfoy's face.

The boy drew himself up to his full height, which was still considerably shorter than Nymphadora, and she smirked, looking straight into his eyes. "Mad Eye tells me you make a good ferret, young Malfoy," she whispered, but everyone at the table heard her. "Pity you aren't magic enough to manage it yourself."

Draco hissed a few words that Ginny couldn't understand, then brushed past Nymphadora, who made sure he bounced off of her again. Ginny was laughing, staring at Draco's back and Tonks' smirk and exaggerated hair-toss. The boys were laughing too, and Cedric and Charlie were shaking their heads.

"Hasn't changed a bit, has she?" Charlie asked Cedric.

"Not at all," Cedric chuckled. "Join us, Tonks?"

The young woman disappeared under the table, popping up between Charlie and Blane. "Hi, Charlie. Hi, Cedric...boys," she breathed, grinning. She caught Ginny staring around Charlie at her and winked. "Ginny."

Ginny hid her face behind Charlie's arm and only peeked out at the Metamorphagus a minute or two later. The dark-haired witch was talking and laughing with the boys about the Tournament, congratulating Diggory one second and teasing him about the First Task the next. "You'll probably have to fight Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts," Tonks said seriously, her grey eyes wide and twinkling. "He was telling me about them. I met him while I was walking over here."

"No, she's fibbing," Charlie interrupted. " _She_ 's the First Task. You have to defeat Tonksie in a duel."

"Well, she wins, in that case," Diggory said, and Tonks giggled.

"You going down without a fight?" she demanded. "No way!"

Blane scoffed, "Of course not!"

Nymphadora smiled at him, then stirred her butterbeer and casually took a sip. "I actually can't be here that day," she sighed. "But I'll be rooting for you...from mountains of paperwork in the Office." The Hufflepuffs and Charlie smiled sympathetically, and Dora grinned. "I'll be with you in spirit."

Ginny smiled a little at Tonks' words, sipping her own butterbeer to distract herself. It wasn't easy to sit there, between Charlie and one of the other boys, and not laugh and smile at Dora as the rest were. She thought fleetingly of her cousins, and wondered how upset they'd be, but couldn't move from where she was. It was too late, anyway; Draco had seen her.

The young woman was the center of attention at the table, and all the boys were watching her, laughing together. They continued talking about the Tournament, and about past times during their Hogwarts years, Charlie seeming a bit uncomfortable when another Hufflepuff joined them and Tonks scooted closer to him. Ginny moved over a little bit, but there was really no room. The redhead decided that Hufflepuffs were a great deal too cuddly, and leaned her head against Charlie's arm, waiting for them to be finished with their conversation.

Ginny had tuned them out, thinking about what her mother or Pansy would do to her, when Tonks suddenly said, "Who's that? Merlin, they're tiny!"

"Don't know," said the dark-haired Hufflepuff. "I don't remember them being Sorted, ever."

"They had to be," disagreed Blane. "They're wearing Slytherin House crests!"

"That's Rohan and Karntaan Lestrange," Ginny said clearly.

Everyone turned to stare at her. "What?" Tonks said in confusion.

Ginny's ears turned red. "They're the twin sons of Auntie Bellatrix," she said to Dora, almost smirking.

Diggory looked between the two girls awkwardly. "That can't be, can it?"

"They were born in Azkaban," Ginny said with a nod. "They were raised by the Wesley Averys and sent to Hogwarts half a year late so they wouldn't be the center of attention. Fred and George listened to some of their introductions to the professors: you should ask them to tell you what they heard."

"What are they like?" Dora asked curiously.

"They're amusing, but you'd probably consider them rude and mean," Ginny answered. "They don't like Draco, but they get along all with me and Meris."

"Meris…?" Tonks questioned.

"Lestrange," Ginny sighed. "Meris is the twins' first cousin, the only child of their father's brother. I like the boys: they're fun."

"Of course you would, Parkington," the dark-haired Hufflepuff said sharply, frowning at her.

Her eyes flashed angrily, and Charlie touched her arm carefully, reminding her to be calm. "You didn't even know who they were before I told you—you have no right to judge them!" she hissed at the boy, glaring at him. Her serpents were hissing, " _Hisssusss_!" but she denied them, and Kaphasa settled himself around her neck, staring at the Hufflepuffs unblinkingly.

Tonks glanced between the Parkington and the Hufflepuff boy before shrugging, "I'm sure they're fun. Too bad I'm taboo."

Charlie chuckled softly, but the Hufflepuffs didn't laugh. "You don't need any more Dark influences, Dora."

"Don't call me Dora!" she snapped, and he flinched away from her, Ginny jumping away from her brother and nearly landing on the lap of the boy next to her.

"Sorry," Charlie muttered. "Tonks. Ginny calls you... _that_."

"Well, you don't," Tonks told him, and he blew out his breath in exasperation.

"They're not Dark!" Ginny protested to them, and Charlie said, "I'm sure they're not now, but they probably will be once their cousins have got through with them."

Nymphadora laughed. "Or their parents. I've heard that they expect to meet their parents when the Dark Lord returns."

The Hufflepuffs had all gone silent again, and Ginny sputtered, "You _did_ know who they were, and you still asked?"

"Just to make sure," Dora answered, and the Hufflepuff boys got to their feet, thanking her and Charlie for a great time. "Any time," Dora told them with an imperial nod. "I like keeping up to date on my House."

"I wasn't sure," Dora admitted to Ginny quietly. "Now, maybe you could run along, because Charlie and I have some catching up to do."

"Bitch," Ginny muttered, sliding out of the booth and stalking away, going to sit beside Hermione, who looked at her in surprise.

"Oh, hi," said the brown-haired girl. "Um, well, I was...oh, did you hear about the new organization about house-elves?"

Ginny looked at the girl blankly. "No, what organization?"

Hermione pushed a piece of parchment beneath Ginny's nose. "S.P.E.W.," Hermione said briskly. "The Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare."

"What is it?" Ginny said, still confused. "Spew," she read. "What a name—!?"

"No!" Hermione moaned. "That's what Ron said! It's S.P.E.W.! Our aims are to get freedom and fair wages for house-elves because they're slaves, Ginny!"

"This is what you do in your spare time?" Ginny said in dawning amusement. "Hermione, this is a waste of time. No one wants that!"

Hermione frowned at her. "Harry and Ron joined, and so did Neville, and—"

Ginny snorted. "To keep you from bothering them," she said. "I will never join, Hermione." She heard someone snigger softly, and frowned at the spot next to the brown-haired girl. "Speaking of the boys, shouldn't Harry at least be here with you?"

"Oh, um, he had to, ah—" Hermione stammered, her cheeks flushing red.

"Had to not be seen," Ginny said. "You know, I think I'll be going now."

She got to her feet, and Hermione said quickly, "Ginny, if you just _knew_ about the poor house-elves—"

Ginny swore to herself inwardly, hissing, "I grew up knowing about house-elves, Granger. I don't need you to teach me about them. I'm not stupid or out of touch, even as a Weasley!"

She strode away from Hermione, tossing her hair over her shoulders. She left The Three Broomsticks, her eyes blazing, and quickly found a place to charm her hair privately. Estella walked down the street, wondering where the twins had gone. She looked around for them, deciding against asking any of the passing Slytherins.

It wasn't until she had crept into Zonko's Joke Shop that she found Karnt and Ro looking at dungbombs. "How's Dora?" Karnt asked unconcernedly. "She looks like the young picture of Mother that Jase's dad showed us. Except that she was walking down the street with that Weasley."

"Yeah, that's Charlie," Estella answered. "They were best friends at school, and I guess they've been catching up today. I met Charlie at The Three Broomsticks, but he didn't tell me he was going to hang out with Hufflepuffs all day."

"You were seen," Rohan told her. "By more than one Slytherin. Lauren saw you, and so did Riker and Allison."

"Allison?" Estella questioned.

Karnt shrugged. "Two years ahead of you," he explained. "Kind of thin without being too thin. Not fat, you know."

Ro chuckled. "Fun-sized."

"Dora saw you too," Estella told them, and they both frowned at her.

"How do you know?"

"She asked everyone at the table who you were," Estella answered. "She already knew, but she wanted to make sure."

The boys shook their heads at the thought. "She doesn't need to know who we are. When we're older, it'll be very obvious," Rohan stated firmly.

Estella bit her lip slightly, then said, "Perhaps we ought to be getting back to the castle before you two are recognized by someone else."

"Okay," they shrugged. "Hey, did you ever ask the Weasley twins about helping sell their products?"

"No," she answered as they left the shop, heading back toward the school. "I never had time before we came back to Hogwarts."

"Do it," Karnt told her, the boys walking on either side of her down the street.

They passed the twins, Lee Jordan, and Ron, as well as Charlie and Nymphadora, who still had her black hair. "It's too bad she's not everything she should be," Karnt mused when they had passed their would-be cousin. "Daaang!"

Rohan looked a bit horrified, but laughed with his brother. "She's got the looks," he admitted. "Too bad."

Estella rolled her eyes at the boys, who excused themselves and hurried away, presumably to return to the castle.


	22. Chapter 21

That evening, she crept down to the dungeons, deciding to speak with her father about Megan and Sisha. To her great concern, her father greeted her, "Hello, Estella. Your mother would like to speak to you."

"No!"

"Estella, the last thing you ever say to your mother should be and will be 'no,'" he told her. "Don't tell your mother no."

She gave her father a half smile, then walked after him toward where she supposed Meretta was. He stopped a moment later, then said, "You should leave the bitematesss in the sssand room.

She frowned at her father, wanting to protest, but all the bitemates agreed, and she sighed, allowing them to leave her. "Why?" she asked her dad.

"Because they like to catch up, and because the room your mother is in is warded against the bitemates," Reginald answered her plainly.

"Oh…." Estella followed her father once more, biting her lip as he motioned her to go into the room ahead of him. "Will she Curse me when I walk in?" she asked timidly.

"There's only one way to find out," he told her.

Estella stared at the door, feeling unwelcome and worried. After deciding that leaving wasn't a good option, she swallowed hard, then stepped forward and pushed the door open, walking into the room. Her mother was lounging on a daybed in the room, her black dress cut to reveal her arms and shoulders, and lifted to reveal the curve of her legs. Meretta Parkington was one of the most beautiful witches Estella had ever seen, she thought, watching the woman turn to her, her black eyes narrowed sharply.

The girl didn't realise that Meretta was holding her wand until she'd conjured a chair before the daybed. "Sit." Estella sat without a word, watching her mother just glare at her. "What am I to do with you, child?"

The thirteen year old girl didn't reply, unable to speak. She was afraid, and a little angry, but she wasn't sure how her mother would react to anything she said. Obviously, Meretta was more than ready to do whatever she had to in order to get her point across: the woman was currently eyeing her while polishing her wand.

"Our family has placed Pansy in charge of our cousins still at school," Meretta told her daughter sharply. "That means you do not talk back to her when you disagree, especially not in front of that Mudblood friend of Potter. _And_ you do not tell her to  disown you in a room full of Slytherins who well know what you meant about 'Dora'!"

"It's not something to shout about when you're upset," Reginald said quietly from behind her. "Being stricken from your family records is not something to joke about, Estella."

"I didn't mean to joke," Estella murmured. "I was mad that she made fun of me in front of her stupid friends."

Meretta eyed her daughter for a moment longer, then said, "She was incorrect to say such things to you in front of others, but you cannot respond the way you did. Hexing, or cursing her would have been considerably better."

Reginald spoke quietly. "If you're not sure a statement would get you in trouble or not, don't say it," he said, walking up behind his daughter and standing to her left. "It's better to be silent and feared than to be ignored or dismissed for always answering back."

"Yes, Mum," Estella whispered. "Yes, Sir."

"Estella, you can't keep doing things like this," her mother said sharply. "You've got to behave properly, or we will make your life very difficult."

"You've already made my life difficult, thank you," Estella hissed at her mother. "I don't know my place, and Pansy definitely isn't the right one for me to learn it from, and you aren't in a position to help!"

The woman swung her legs over the edge of the daybed and eyed her daughter coldly. "And you would learn it from whom?"

Estella glared at her mother. "Cissa. She's the best example I've seen, and she's _kind_. No one else is kind to me, except Dora, and you wouldn't be happy if I let _her_ teach me how to tie my shoes!"

Meretta's magic crackled fiercely. "Your father has requested that I not punish you with _Crucio_ ," she hissed, getting to her feet and stalking forward. Reginald's hands wrapped firmly around his daughter's arms as she tried to back away, and Estella struggled against him in vain. "But I will if you push me to it, Estella. If you don't learn any other way, you will learn through pain."

"Then do it!" Estella glared at her mother, unable to move because her father was forcing her to remain still. "Dora is nice, and no one else is! I've broken off contact already, but I can't avoid her. I didn't _know_ Charlie was going to be meeting her in Diagon today! I wouldn't have gone if I'd known—"

"You were with her _today_?" Meretta screamed at her daughter.

In the next second, Estella felt her mother's hand strike her across the mouth and fell back against her father. "I didn't mean to," she cried out, unable to protect herself as her father held her fast. "Please!"

Meretta was seething with fury. "Don't you understand?" she hissed. "If you keep doing this, you'll have to be disowned! Do you think I want that? Do you think I want to lose the only daughter I have?" Her face was full of stormy emotions as she reached out, her daughter flinching slightly before Meretta lifted her daughter's chin. "I don't want it," she whispered. "Estella, you've got to stop this. Please."

Estella stared at her mother, fighting tears of anger, hurt, and pain. Her father's grip wasn't changing, and Meretta was staring straight back at her daughter, her own eyes filled with pain and a kind of fear. "May I leave now?" Estella said in a near whisper, her throat dry.

The older woman drew a deep breath, then nodded, and Reginald released his daughter's arms, rubbing them for a second before he dropped his hands to his sides. Estella walked out of the room, her legs trembling. She couldn't do it. She couldn't be both a Weasley and a Parkington. It didn't work. Estella sniffled as she felt the tears begin to fall.

She didn't know what to do except try to become the Estella she should have been in the first place. She knew she'd already destroyed her place in the Weasley family, but she didn't think she could fit in with her pureblood cousins and their pureblood ideals.

Estella began to run. She was hated by everyone she knew, even both of her families. She wasn't allowed to have any good friends, and she'd participated in the murder of a friend's father. Estella forced herself not to sob out loud, her breath coming in gasps as she ran through the Chamber, not knowing which way the passageway she was in led.

"Tom!" she sobbed, seeing him standing in the room she'd just burst into. "Tommy!" Estella ran to her old friend, throwing herself into his arms.

"Estella," he murmured, hugging her tightly.

"Don't call me Estella!" she begged him. "I can't be her—I'll never be good enough."

"What do you want to be called?" he queried, sitting down on the couch in the room and letting her curl up against him.

She closed her eyes. "I don't have a name," she said. "I'm not anyone. I'm a mix that doesn't work—" Tears ran down her cheeks again as she said the words. "Tom, I feel like a half-blood."

He frowned slightly, but nodded, brushing her hair out of her face and squeezing her hand. "Do you need me to heal your lip?"

"No," she muttered, reaching up to touch her face. There was no blood, and much less pain, so she figured that it would be all right in time. "It's fine." The girl sniffed, trying to slow her tears. "I can only try to become the perfect daughter, can't I?" she whispered, her head against Tom's shoulder. "I can't be Ginny Weasley: I'd never be happy, and I'd never fit in. I'd probably kill someone."

"Yeah," Tom admitted, "you probably would.

"Thanks," she sighed. "I'll do what I have to. I hope Dora will understand."

"She will," Tom reassured her, though he had no idea if the colourful Auror would understand the Death Eaters' child's life struggle. "She was a Hufflepuff, Precious, of course she will."

Ginny bit her lip. "I'm Precious now?"

Tom nodded. "To me and a select other few," he replied. "Perhaps you should come visit me more often," he said. "Do you feel like you just need to say your problems out loud?"

"Admit them to the sky," Ginny said bitterly. "Dear sky, my mothers hate me because I'm a terrible daughter, either way you look at it. My fathers both adore me but can't stop my mothers from hating me because women are bitches."

"Ginny!" Tom said in surprise, laughing. "What if she heard you?!"

"She needs to know," Ginny sighed, shrugging. "It isn't as if I've escaped that family trait, and I'm not the only one who thinks she's got a double dose of it. I don't hate my real mother, only Molly, though. You would think an adopted mother would be more kind and understanding."

"Not that one," Tom shrugged apologetically, and Ginny sighed, wriggling around to lie on her back across Tom's lap.

"May I stay with you?" Ginny asked him. "I just don't want to see anyone else."

Tom nodded. "Of course. Are you going to sleep down here?"

Estella agreed, then hissed to her bitemates, "If the fire-headed missstress wondersss where your missstress isss, tell her she isss in the Chamber."

The bitemates all agreed, and Estella breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes. "This isn't your room, is it?" she asked. "I don't even know where I am."

"No," Tom answered. "It isn't. I actually just came over her to stop you from running around in your madness."

"Oh." Ginny smiled sadly, then squeezed her friend's hand. "Thanks, Tom. I haven't been to see you in a long time. I just—"

"It's okay," Tom reassured her. "I'm kind of out of the way. I've been trying to avoid your parents, as much as I think they've been trying to avoid me."

"Good," Ginny said flatly, then bit her lip, wincing as she felt the sore spot where her mother had hit her. She lay there for a few minutes longer, then got to her feet. "Let's go see the other basilisksss," she hissed at Tom, striding toward the door.

He joined her at the door, the two walking down the passageway together. "You'll figure it out, Stel," he said quietly. "You're an intelligent witch."

She sighed. "I'm glad you have faith in me, Tom."


	23. Possibilities

**It has been absolutely AGES since I have updated this, and for that, I am so sorry. Since August 2016, to be precise, and it's 5-4-17. Well, I've made some good notes, jotted down the plot bunnies that keep burrowing away from me, and now I think I'm good to go. I shouldn't take so long to update next time. Yell at me if I go a month without doing it, because I know better. Seriously. Anyhoo, next on the plate is another round of Search and Curse, and yes, this will be fun. :)**

 **As always, if you have a chance, please review! And I do think my writing style has changed a bit since last time I wrote this story, but nevertheless, most of my ideas are the same. I was saying early to my co-writer that I am having difficulty understand that Dora, Bella, Rod, Rab, and Andromeda aren't exactly main characters in T/G (yet). I can hardly wait for the next year. Anyhoo. First things first.**

 **Do enjoy this chapter, and so much more to come!**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

Estella woke, lying in Tom's arms in one of the rooms off a passageway in the Chamber. She yawned and stretched, her bitemates hissing a good morning to her. Tom chuckled as the girl yawned her reply, and added, "They wanted to wake you earlier, but I pleaded for them to allow you to rest."

"Thanksss for letting me sssleep," Estella told Tom and her bitemates, sitting up slightly before flopping back down in the bed. "I can't get up. I want to go back to sleep."

Tom smiled down at her. "Sleep later," he told her. "Walk up to the kitchens with me?"

Estella yawned and stretched, Tom reaching out and brushing her hair from her face. She couldn't help grinning a little as he pulled her to sit up and wrapped his arms around her, Tom kissing her head firmly. "I've missed you," he told her softly.

"And I missed you," Estella answered, squeezing him too. "My life has been madness: everything has gone awry."

"Well, it's Hogwarts," Tom shrugged. "Life gets interesting about third or fourth year."

"Yeah," the girl sighed, but smiled happily.

"The First Task is soon," Tom said with a grin. "And after that, the Yule Ball. I hope you are up on your dancing skills?"

Estella grinned and nodded as she pulled away from him and slid from the bed. "Let me find a robe in the other room and I'll walk with you to the kitchen," she promised, then scurried away.

She was excited to think of the First Task and imagine what the champions would have to do in the tournament. Her only concern was the Yule Ball, though. Would she be able to go as herself, or would she have to attend as Ginny Weasley? Estella determined to find some way to get out of being Ginny Weasley for that night; she would have much more fun as Estella Parkington, anyway. She could get away with much more as her true self.

* * *

A few days later, Estella sat in the Slytherin Common Room with Megan and Guage, the three supposedly studying, although they kept looking toward where Draco was sitting. Malfoy was entertaining four or five students from Durmstrang, Lauren and Alvin there to help him.

"We're playing Search and Curse this weekend before the First Task," Draco smirked, glancing across the room at Estella, who couldn't help remembering that she was probably going to be one of his extra targets. "We were hoping that you would join us, and invite some of the others."

"Last time Dmitri played Search and Curse," one of the Durmstrang students laughed, "his opponent did not recognise his own mother for weeks."

"Well, we try not to send students to the Hospital Wing," Lauren interjected firmly. "We always say if you're going to use Dark magic, you have to be able to clean it up."

"He wasn't himself," a fair-haired Durmstrang boy frowned. "We still haven't figured out who cursed him. But we know what a watered-down version you play."

Draco scowled at him, but Alvin replied, "Well, our Headmaster isn't a convicted Death Eater, is he?"

The Durmstrang students all looked at each other carefully, then said, "Is it true, then? The rumours that the Dark Lord is returning?"

"The Dark Lord will return, without a doubt," came Rohan's quiet voice from his place beside the fire. "There will be a price to pay for those that have failed him, that have forsaken him."

"You sound like Parkington," Draco smirked at him.

"Our families are _faithful_ ," Estella spat at him, "whether in Azkaban, or on the run from the Ministry." She felt Megan's hand on her knee and knew the girl wanted her to calm down.

"Don't mind her," Draco said to the boys and girls from Durmstrang. "She always gets angry about these things."

The one boy who hadn't said anything looked straight at the blonde Slytherin. "His return will be soon, Malfoy," he said quietly. "Perhaps your father didn't think it prudent to tell you that most pureblood families are very aware that the Dark Lord is growing stronger."

Karntaan looked up. "Check your father's Mark next time you see him. Bet it's grown darker since you saw it last."

Draco did not speak, and the Durmstrang students nodded to Alvin and Lauren. "Search and Curse sounds wonderful," one said gruffly. "How is it that you do it? No Unforgivables?"

" _Crucio_ is allowed, but no more than three on any one person," Draco told them, unable to hide a delighted smirk.

"Oh, Draco," Estella muttered to herself, wondering if that was indeed what he was planning for her.

"And of course, the stipulations about Dark Arts," Lauren said. "Other than that, it's open range. We tend to hunt in pairs, but you can hunt alone if you so wish."

"Parkington is hunting with us this time," Karnt grinned. "We made her promise. Good luck to whoever we're again."

"Don't say that," Estella rolled her eyes at him. "We'll end up hunting seventh years, don't you know?"

One of the Durmstrang girls looked over at them. "You are the Lestrange twins," she said happily. "I have wanted to meet you. In fact, several of my friends back at school would love to see you."

She sat down with them and began to chatter away, Estella grinning to herself as she tried to concentrate on reading her Transfiguration textbook. Megan elbowed her and she stifled her gasp before demanding, "What?"

"I don't want to bother you," she said softly in Parseltongue, "but have you spoken to your father about Sssisha and the Chamber?"

"Yesss," Estella answered, leaning back against her chair. "He sssaid it would be fine. We could go talk to him about the detailsss, if you wanted to."

"Okay," Megan agreed, getting to her feet.

Guage looked up at the two. "Where are you going? Neither of you has finished your homework," she said with a frown.

Megan shrugged. "We'll finish it later. I have things to check on."

The two girls left the Common Room, Estella sighing to escape Malfoy and the Durmstrang students. "I'm not sssure I'm looking forward to Sssearch and Curssse," she told Megan, shaking her head. "Draco isss going to kill me."

"We warned you," Megan replied. "But you'll be with the Lestrange twinsss. You might be all right, though I'm sssure they won't jump at the chance to get between you and Draco."

"Oh, well," Estella shrugged, hurrying into the nearest bathroom and grinning at the familiar markings on the sink. "Open!" she hissed happily, smiling as she sat down and slid right down the slide, far beneath the school.

Landing in a heap at the end of the slide, Estella quickly rolled out of the way and got to her feet as Megan fell out of the pipe, also in a heap. "Ouch," she said as she sat up, beginning to brush herself off. "Sssorry, Sssisha."

"Sssisha isss fine, missstress," came the smooth female voice of Megan's bitemate.

"Sssee bitematesss," hissed Kaphasa. "Warm sssand, and _hisssusss_!"

"All right," Estella said with a smile. "Sssand room firssst. I believe it isss time to carry new bitematesss."

"No!" hissed Teneski, and all the other bitemates began to tell their littlest sister how terrible of a bitemate she was. "Missstress, I do not wish to leave you!"

Estella gently touched her serpent necklace and said softly, "But I visit often, Teneski. And you have been with me for a long while. You know I mussst alssso bond with the othersss. And you can ssspeak to me through our bond."

Teneski was not comforted, her coils tightening around her mistress's neck as she complained, "It isss not the sssame to _feel_ Missstress, to know her magic! It isss more exciting to protect Missstress and her sssire from the _sheisss_."

"Bite! Bite! Bite!" the others she was holding clamoured, and Estella hissed for them to be silent, Megan raising an eyebrow.

"They protected Mother and Father from Aurors once," she told Megan with a sigh.

"They need the experience," Megan nodded ruefully. "That's what it'll come to, you know. Even Sssisha knowsss her clutch will be warriorsss."

Estella opened the door of the sand room, immediately greeted by those she had left behind. Teneski hid her head beneath her mistress's collar and did not look up as the other bitemates reunited, Estella sitting down in the sand.

After a few moments, Estella sighed. "Teneski," she said softly, pulling the little serpent from her neck, "you mussst go with the othersss for now."

The little one did not struggle as she was placed on the sand, the two humans watching her a little sadly. "Bitemate," Megan began gently, allowing Sssisha to slither into her lap, regarding the younger basilisks. "It isss no shame to leave Missstress for a time. All that isss expected isss for you to do the bessst you can while you are with her. When she isss grown, she will be more able to carry all of you."

"Missstress," Teneski hissed before slithering off beneath a rock only she could fit under. "Missstress return sssoon."

Estella looked at Megan helplessly, and Megan gave her a wry smile. "Gather the next ssset," she told Estella with a reassuring nod. "We will speak of thisss later."

Nisi, Nisan, Zisi, Behinga, Odessa, Tishri, Basari, and Icythan slithered forward, all approaching and taking their places on their mistress, though Tishri was left to look at her mistress from the sand. "I will take my place when Missstress standsss," she told her. "It will be uncomfortable otherwise."

Estella nodded, glancing toward Teneski's shelter before she finally got to her feet. Tishri slithered up her leg, settling around her thigh and making the girl giggle. "It tickles," she couldn't help sputtering, fidgeting slightly.

Megan sniggered, turning quickly as the door to the sand room opened behind them. Reginald entered the room, and Estella looked up at her father hopefully. "Hi," she said breathlessly.

"Essstella," he said softly, walking forward and embracing her as the bitemates hissed happily at the two of them together. "And Megan, the young Sssage. There isss another sssand room that I believe may be to Sssisha'sss approval. If you will both follow me."

"Thank you, Father," Estella said quietly.

"One more thing before we leave here," he said to his daughter before kneeling down. "Teneski, will you join me for a few daysss?"

The smallest basilisk peeked out from under her rock, tasting the air before replying, "Missstress's sssire wishesss it? Missstress?"

Estella smiled at the little one. "Yesss, sssweetling," she said. "It isss your choice. But I would sssay it isss an honour."

Teneski slithered out from under the rock and around the man's wrist, tasting his skin carefully. "Powerful magic, jussst like Missstress," she said proudly. "The magic hasss travelled."

Reginald and Megan smiled at the bitemate's words, the man gently stroking the small serpent as he accepted her wrapping around his right wrist. He got to his feet and slipped his arm around Estella, leading her toward the door. "I am sure you've been raised in the ways of a Parselmouth and know all about your serpent," he said to Megan as they walked across the Chamber. "So you would know when to begin preparations and all. I will show you and Estella the room, and perhaps talk you through some things, and then you two will be responsible for it."

"Yes, sir," Megan answered, Sisha hissing wordlessly at her waist.

They all entered the room together, Estella giggling helplessly as she felt Tishri shift on her leg. Reginald looked over at her, Megan laughing at the girl openly. "Sssorry," Estella said to her father. "Bitemate ticklesss." She jumped in shock, giggling more as Tishri tasted her leg teasingly. "Ssstop!" she protested. "Ssstop that!"

Teneski peeked out at her mistress and hissed, "Missstress isss ticklish! Do not disssturb her."

Tishri replied, "Missstress will be a very interesting mate, I think."

Megan turned away to hide her amusement, but Reginald laughed outright. "Of courssse," he said, shaking his head slightly.

Estella could feel her face heat up and knew they were laughing at her. She concentrated on the room, taking in each detail and feeling the warmth of the air. Megan knelt to allow Sisha to slither onto the sand, the three of the watching as she inspected the area. "Prepare!" Sisha hissed. "I will. Missstress hasss good friendsss."

"It isss to your liking?" Megan asked earnestly, sitting down in the sand as she watched her serpent carefully.

"It isss warm, and comfortable," Sisha answered. "Just right for hatchlingsss. It isss not yet time, but I will ssstay and prepare, if Missstress and her friendsss allow it."

"Yesss," Reginald said to Megan and Sisha's questioning looks. "You will need time, I know. After all that I went through with Tabashi—"

"Missstress's sssire had Tabashi's firssst clutch," Icythan said knowingly. "He knowsss bitematesss and their needsss."

Reginald smiled and nodded. "There are materials for the nessst around the room," he told Sisha. "Do not worry about dessstroying them. I brought them here for you the moment I knew you would be ssstaying."

Sisha coiled up in the sand, blinking happily. "Thanksss," she told them.

Megan stroked her serpent gently for a moment, then said, "I'll be back to visit, hopefully."

"You will," Reginald nodded. "And for that, you must be allowed into the wards. Only to be able to enter from any entrance, and to be able to enter the sand rooms. Come here."

The red-haired witch got to her feet, facing Reginald as she simply stood before him. He drew his wand, holding out his hand to his daughter. "Take my hand. I want you to feel this spell, Estella, for you will have to know how to do this yourself one day."

She obeyed, smiling proudly at the magic of the Chamber as she felt her father access it, allowing Megan permission to go in and out of the Chamber, and to check on her bitemates. "Thisss wasss a good idea," Reginald smiled when it was over, hugging Estella into his side. "It isss alwaysss fun to have hatchlingsss around."

"Thank you for allowing it," Megan said softly. "Father and I appreciate your kindness in allowing Sssisha to ssstay ssso close."

"Of courssse," Estella answered. "I'm excited."

Megan smiled, and Reginald nodded to her. "You can let yourself out of the Chamber while I have a word with my daughter?" he asked. The red-haired girl nodded and turned, leaving the room quickly.

Estella turned to face her father. "What is it?" she questioned, almost unsure if she wanted to know.

"Nothing bad," the man sighed, looking into his daughter's face. "You need to work on your Occlumency, darling. And I'm not that strong of a Legilimens, either."

"Sorry," Estella whispered, and felt his arms slip around her, holding her close. "Father, are you all right?"

"I've recovered from that disaster with the Aurors," he answered, half amused. "Though I'm interested to know which bitemates of yours actually got them."

"Sadura and Nephisi," Teneski tattled from her master's wrist. "And I got the Colourful One. She tastesss good."

Reginald chuckled quietly. "Does she now?" he said. "Well. It'sss a good thing you only bit to ssstun."

"Of course," Teneski answered promptly. "Missstress doesss not wish usss to kill for her. At leassst, not yet."

"Kill! Kill!" hissed Levir and Lises together, and Estella sighed against her father's shirt.

"My daughter," the man said gently, leading her from the room and walking her toward his and Meretta's room. "I have nothing to sssay on that matter. Bitematesss, hush." The two basilisks became silent, Teneski hissing wordlessly in her disapproval at them.

Meretta sat back on the bed, clad in a dressing gown as she smoothed a cream into her skin. She yelped in shock upon seeing her daughter, yanking her garment to cover herself. "Hi," she said, her ears betraying her embarrassment.

Estella didn't mention anything she had just seen. "Hello," she answered.

"So," Meretta mused, returning to what she had been doing, though being cautious to stay modest. "You will be playing Search and Curse this weekend. With one angry young Malfoy."

"Yes," Estella said quietly, unsure what she was to say or do. "Do you have advice for me?"

"Will you take it?" Meretta raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"I don't know," Estella sighed. "But I will listen. I'll always listen."

Reginald sat down at his wife's feet, motioning Estella to curl up in the chair she had charmed before. "You're going to hunt with the Lestrange brothers?"

Estella looked from her father to her mother. "Why do you ask me questions about things you already know?"

"There is a point to these things," Reginald frowned. "I don't think you'd like us to immediately say, 'Look out for the Lestrange twins; I don't think they'll have your back like the girls would.' Or that you'd like us to tell you're probably going to get cursed no matter what you try to do this time."

"Well, I'd rather not re-discuss everything you've obviously already seen," Estella replied with a deep sigh. "And why are you obsessed with watching me?"

"To make sure you're all right," Meretta answered. "All right, and not hanging out with the wrong crowd. Now: I wanted to tell you that even though the Lestrange twins are fun, they do not make the best friends. Be wary of them."

Estella nodded in agreement and looked to her father. "Stel," he said thoughtfully, "I think you and the bitemates could use practise targeting prey. Perhaps during Search and Curse, if things don't go too well, you should have some of the bitemates assist you."

The bitemates hissed joyfully. "Yesss!" they all agreed. "Protect Missstress, and fight for her! _Hisssusss_!"

"Not to kill," Reginald reminded them, then switched back to English. "Not to kill. Remember to specify. The command is 'Bite to stun,' and it comes in handy. Too bad we couldn't practise it, though you would also need to learn how to draw out the venom and heal the wound. Just to help cover up. You don't want anyone to know your serpents will attack humans."

" _Hisssusss_!" all seventeen bitemates agreed, Teneski tasting her master's wrist again.

"Massster," she hissed finally. "Permission to bond?"

Reginald pulled his right sleeve up. "Yesss, sssweetling," he answered, and smiled proudly as she sank her fangs into his wrist.

Estella frowned in confusion as her mother took hold of his hand and kissed the bite on his wrist. "What does that do?" she asked.

"It's just...your mother," Reginald shrugged. "She likes blood. She won't heal a bleeding cut if it isn't dangerous. She'd prefer to lick the blood off first."

"Besides," Meretta pouted, "saliva helps with healing!"

"Can't you taste the venom too?" Estella asked curiously. "What is that like?"

"Not too much," Meretta answered, smirking up at her husband as she now curled into his side. "Sometimes it stings if it's particularly strong. Burnt my tongue one time that way. But it's a strange taste. Try it one time, if you get the chance. It won't burn you obviously because you're a Parselmouth."

Reginald smirked at his wife, slipping his arm around her carefully. "We're actually getting ready to sleep, Stel," he told her. "I don't mind if you stay down here, but not with us."

"No, I have homework," she sighed, getting to her feet. "I'll see you later." She heard her mother's reply, but walked to the door and let herself out of the room, barely escaping before Reginald turned and pushed his wife down onto the bed, mischief in his eyes.


	24. Search and Curse

**I am so not used to loading chapters like this on my own account that I kept forgetting to load this and went away on vacation again. *sigh* I just can't keep it together. Hopefully now I'll be able to write and load on time...hahaha famous last words.**

 **Anyway, do enjoy this latest chapter of T/G: Goblet of Fire. :)**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

Estella was excited to report to the dungeons for the beginning of their game of Search and Curse, glad that she was able to find the twins almost immediately. She bumped into Meris on her way to join the twins, and he muttered, "Be careful, Stel."

"I will," she answered before she hurried on to join Karntaan and Rohan. "Hi!" she greeted them breathlessly.

"Estella," Karntaan said with a grin. "Hope you're ready to run and hide."

"Have you put your names in?" she asked them.

Rohan shook his head. "Waiting for you," he said, handing her a piece of paper and showing her his. "Come on, now."

Estella hurried scribbled her name, then stepped forward with the twins, putting their pieces of paper in the hat Bole was holding. They returned to their place, though when Estella sat down where Karnt had been sitting, he lay down across her lap as he had become accustomed to.

"Really?" Draco sneered at them, and Estella smirked at him.

"Save it, Draco," she said. "You'll need that energy later."

The twins grinned at her words though they didn't comment, and soon enough, it was time for the hunting pairs to be chosen. "Lauren, Megan;" Bole began to read off the pairs that would be hunting each other. "Kristoff, Rohan—"

"Damn," Karntaan said to his twin. "You get a Durmstrang—"

"Estella, Dmitri—"

"Double damn," Karntaan groaned. "I swear you two just want to die this round."

"Not at all," Estella sighed. "Just keep listening for yours."

The three looked at each other cautiously, waiting to hear who Karntaan would be hunting. It was with great surprise that they heard, "Meris, Karntaan."

The two cousins glared at each other for a second before Estella realised something. "Meris...you're hunting with Draco, aren't you?"

Meris nodded. "Watch your back, Parkington."

Estella frowned at Meris' distant attitude, then turned away from him coldly, seeing the two Durmstrang students that she and Rohan had to find in the Forest. "Let's go," she said to the two, moving forward.

The three made their way to the passage, the boys glancing at each other. "I don't know how we'll fare," Karnt sighed finally, "but let's try to watch each other's backs."

"Of course," Estella answered firmly. "Let's go." They hurried through the passageway, exiting the side of the hill and joining the few others in the clearing.

"There's going to be a lot of us," Estella heard Lauren say to Alvin. "Make sure you have the right target before you go for them. And be careful: Draco's hunting with Meris, who's after Karntaan."

"Great," Alvin said, rolling his eyes. "Well, Theo, think you can take him?"

There was no reply, and Estella almost felt sorry for the boy. "Estella, come on!" Rohan hissed at her, motioning her to follow him and his brother. The three moved deeper into the Forest, trying to find a place to take cover and watch.

"Wait," Karnt whispered. "Disillusionment Charms. Estella, can you do one of those?"

"Perhaps not very well," she muttered back.

"Then hold still," he ordered her, raising his wand. He touched the top of her head with the tip of his wand, turning to do the same to his twin. "Now you do me," he said.

Rohan obliged, and the three moved quickly through the trees to find a place good enough to watch. Estella jumped in shock when she saw something move, yanking the boys back down behind a tree. "Something moved!" she insisted. "I saw it!"

Karntaan looked out carefully, watching for a few moments before he shook his head. "There's nothing," he said.

Estella peeked out and froze, muffling a yell. There, not twenty feet away from where she stood was one of the strange bony horse-like creatures that had been pulling the Hogwarts carriages. "Thestral," she breathed.

"What are you talking about?" Rohan hissed in annoyance. "Estella, get down! You're going to be seen!"

"Hello," Estella said to it softly, holding out her hand. Her bitemates immediately began to hiss in alarm as it stepped closer, and two figures burst out of the bushes behind the three.

"Estella!" came Megan's sharp voice. "They are afraid of Thestrals!"

"Sage!" came another yell, and Estella saw the Thestral turn and rush away almost noiselessly through the Forest.

Megan and Lauren began to duel, the twins hurrying Estella away into the Forest. "You idiot!" Rohan snapped at her. "What if they had been a different group?!"

"We want to find the others," Estella muttered, still amazed at seeing a Thestral in the Forest. "They're beautiful…."

"Creaturesss of death!" hissed Zisi, half fearfully. "Missstress mussst not go near them!"

"It isss only because the bitematesss have killed that she can sssee them," Tishri reminded them, and Estella swallowed hard.

"Pay attention!" Karntaan said sharply, shaking her slightly. "We will leave you behind, Estella, and you'll have no chance all alone."

The three travelled for a few more minutes, hearing sounds of duelling in the distance until it suddenly stopped. Estella swallowed hard, glancing to the side suddenly, getting a strange feeling that something else was out there.

"Missstress!" Nisi hissed in alarm. "The _sheisss_ isss out there! Nisi senses it!"

"Where?" Estella hissed softly, turning slowly around.

"There," Odessa replied, and Estella stopped. "Hiding there. With the _sheisss_ of Missstress's hunting matesss."

"Rohan," Estella said in alarm, "they're—"

And in that moment, two Durmstrang students leapt out from behind the tree she was facing, and all three went into defensive poses, wands ready. "Twins," spat the one. "So which one of you is which?"

"He's I and I'm he," Rohan retorted, and sparks began to fly.

Estella was shocked at the heavy spell-fire, and realised almost immediately how advanced the two Durmstrang boys were. She stuck as close as she could to the twins in spite of having to dodge curses that flew too fast for her to block. The twins were doing very well, though Karntaan yelled in rage as a curse grazed his cheek, and both boys duelled harder, intent on conquering their enemies.

She felt a curse just miss her shoulder and chilled at the heat of it, frantically sending spells in return. She was sidestepping a curse when a movement of Tishri on her leg made her realise her advantage. "Bitematesss!" she hissed sharply. "Bite to ssstun, those _sheisss_."

Odessa, Tishri, and Icythan immediately slithered away from her as she continued to duel, hearing someone else shout at the five duelists. Meris and Draco had arrived, the third Lestrange wondering what he was to do when the duel seemed to be a small skirmish instead. Meris was about to yell something when Estella saw her opponent jump in horror, let out a scream, and after a second or two, fell silently to the Forest floor. The second Durmstrang student fell moments later to Rohan's spell, distracted by what had happened to his comrade.

"No fair!" Tishri and Icythan complained to Odessa, who hissed happily and returned to her mistress.

"Stel?" Meris said in concern, looking from her to the two fallen students.

Karntaan stepped forward and distracted his cousin, their duel filled with taunting and laughter. Estella smiled to watch the Lestranges duel, though she was not excited when Draco walked toward her, his wand ready. "Parkington," he smirked. "Let's settle this right here, right now. And if you dare try to use those serpents on me, I will not hesitate to injure them."

All of the bitemates hissed in fury at his words, though Estella ordered them to remain with her as they began to duel. Estella didn't recognise most of the spells he was using, bar the occasional _Crucio_. She didn't have too much difficulty at first, though as Draco continued to duel, he seemed to become more powerful until one of his spells cracked her shield.

She yelled out in pain as his Curse struck her full in the chest. Estella fell to the rough ground in the Forest, writhing in pain as he held the Curse. She caught her breath after he released the spell, looking up at him through pain-defiant eyes. "Satisfied?" she breathed, unable to keep a smirk off her face, and even though she shrieked at the pain, she found it amusing that she could make him so angry.

Neither of them realised how many students were watching them until they heard an apparition and looked up in shock. In the middle of the clearing stood a black-haired Nymphadora Tonks, her wand raised and ready. Estella couldn't help groaning, "You've got to be joking! Who invited her?"

The young Auror looked around, her gaze resting on Estella, Draco standing over her. "Now this is rare," she said quietly, a small smirk on her lips. "Malfoy, caught in the act."

Several students began to murmur to each other, and Estella said, "You're not welcome here, Dora."

"Aw," Dora pouted. "You hurt my feelings, Parkington." The witch walked toward the fallen girl, raising an eyebrow at the two unconscious Durmstrang students. She went to help Estella to her feet, but the girl scrambled backwards in spite of the discomfort.

"I don't want your help!" Estella hissed, her bitemates all slithering to the outside of her robes threateningly.

"Well," the young Auror said simply, "then you won't get it."

They all heard running footsteps, and Estella dragged herself to her feet as Draco stepped back, all of them waiting to see who it was. Lauren Avery burst upon the scene, looking around worriedly until her eyes settled on the newcomer. "Castella," she breathed.

Draco looked very confused. "No?!" he shouted. "Lauren, it's Nymphadora!"

"It's both," Estella groaned. "Dora, please go away. We're in the middle of Search and Curse!"

"Both?" the blonde witch looked at Estella carefully, then back at Nymphadora. "I was sure…."

"Estella, where did you learn that?" Nymphadora's voice was dead serious, and the girl almost chilled at her tone.

"It can't be," Alvin breathed, walking up to stand beside Lauren. "The things she did...she was so powerful!"

Estella swallowed hard. "I saw a memory," she said to Dora finally. "And I would know your eyes anywhere."

Nymphadora looked around at them all, her eyes meeting Lauren's. "I was exploring my power," she said to the older students, who were watching her in stunned horror. "I didn't know who I was—it happens when you can be anything you please. And sometimes, I just needed to blow off steam." She smiled ruefully. "If you'll excuse me. I'm late for meeting my friend."

No one spoke as the witch began to walk toward the Hogwarts grounds, though several students pointed their wands at her back. Estella bit her lip, then stepped out of the line and walked after Nymphadora, following her just enough so that her back was covered.

When they were near the edge of the Forest, Nymphadora turned and looked at her. "You didn't need to cover me," she said. "But thank you."

"This Forest is full of us," Estella scowled. "Probably the entire House of Slytherin is out tonight, plus some Durmstrang students and certain Ravenclaws. If a fight had broken out, the sheer numbers would have made it impossible for you to get away. And I won't be responsible for making your parents childless."

"Well, thanks," Nymphadora laughed softly. "I do miss Search and Curse, though. I used to play it years ago...I was pretty good." She looked into Estella's face carefully. "You just had to tell them I was Castella, didn't you?"

"Lauren would have known after tonight," Estella replied firmly. "She's too smart not to realise it. I just thought with so many Slytherins watching, it would be best to do it now.

"It won't change anything," the witch sighed, her hair turning mousey brown. "Nothing will ever change who I really am."

Estella looked at the woman with a small smile. "You're great, Dora."

The Metamorphagus held up her hand. "Call me Tonks," she said. "I know, name of filth and whatever, but I really hate my given name."

"You should love it," Estella told her. "It could be worse, you know. You should be proud of it."

"The thing is," Dora sighed, shaking her head at the younger girl, "Mother gave me a name that sounded so awfully pureblood that I hate using it. If Mother had behaved herself, I think I would like being called _Nymphadora_ , but she didn't. And I don't."

Estella frowned. "But you know who you are now?"

Tonks looked at the girl for a moment before replying, "Some days, I think have two personalities. One day I'll be kind and funny, and the next day, I'm sassy and want to taunt everyone in sight. Obviously, it isn't strictly those two options, but there are days when I swear I don't know if I'm going bad or if it's inner darkness. I know who I am, but that doesn't mean life isn't difficult."

"Yes," Estella agreed.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "I know you've been threatened about how to act all all that," she said. "But trust me: whatever pathway you take in your life, take it as Estella Parkington." She grinned and shrugged, "Ginny Weasley sucks, bless her heart." The witch winked, and Estella couldn't help laughing.

"Thanks," Estella said finally, and Dora nodded, looking up suddenly through the Forest see someone coming across the grounds toward the woods. "That's Charlie!" Estella looked up at Dora in surprise.

"He invited me to come see the First Task," Dora grinned. "Though we're going out tonight, and I'm staying in Hogsmeade until tomorrow. And fair warning: if Bill or Charlie asks you to sit with them for the task, I will be there with them."

"Okay," Estella nodded, looking out to her brother.

"Are you sure you don't want healing?" Tonks frowned at her.

"Yeah," she answered, then stepped back. "Good luck."

Tonks nodded, then left the cover of the Forest and swiftly crossed the field toward her old friend, Estella watching them carefully. She sighed as the two hugged fiercely in the middle of the field, the two tussling playfully for a few moments and ending up on the cold lawn.

Someone joined Estella at the edge of the Forest, and she realised that her fellow Slytherins were watching from all around her as well. Lauren looked out at the now pink-haired witch and said, "Castella...it just can't be."

Estella sighed dejectedly, feeling her adrenaline slip away and her pain beginning to affect her. "That's just Tonks," she said. "Castella is a different side of her."

"It can't be," Lauren breathed, Alvin wrapping his arms around her.

"Why does it mean so much to you?" Estella asked her. "Did you know her when she was at school?"

"I—I knew Castella," Lauren admitted. "She—she'd been kind, and had helped me find my place in Slytherin because I'm definitely more brainy than most of us. Castella was the one that helped me become the girl-in-charge that she had been: she sort of...passed it down to me. I can't believe it was _Nymphadora_."

She spat the word, making Estella wince at her disgust. Alvin sighed, shaking his head. "She knew how to pull our House together and get things done," he said. "First Years could talk to her without fearing that she'd snap at them for wasting her time. She just...well, I had thought she was perfect."

Lauren nodded, looking out at the couple now walking toward the Hogwarts gates. "We all did," she said, shaking her head. "Well, let's get the Forest cleaned up and everyone accounted for. I don't want to have anyone missing tonight." She turned to Estella. "I want you to come with me."

Estella shook her head. "No," she protested. "I swear I didn't know she would be here. I had nothing to do with this!"

Karnt and Meris stepped to her side, the older boy saying, "Lauren, perhaps you could wait until tomorrow to speak with her. She has been Cursed, after all."

"Oh, yes, of course," Lauren said with a sigh. "Go take care of yourselves. Later…."

The boys led her away, back to the passageway and into the castle, Meris doing his best to heal her from the pain. "How's that?" he asked her after a moment. "I'm sorry about Draco and all that. I hunted with him to make sure that he didn't hurt you too badly. I know none of us expected Nymphadora to show up."

Estella just shook her head, and Meris wrapped his arm around her, helping her walk back to the Common Room. "Do you want to sit here?" he asked her, glancing around. "Or we could go sit in the dorm for a bit."

"Okay," she agreed, surprised when he led her straight to his dorm and to a seat on his bed.

"Draco isn't particularly good with _Crucio_ ," Meris told her, checking his spellwork once again. "It's just that he gets angry a lot, and he knows how to hate. Anyway, now that he's had a Curse or two in on you, he should be satisfied for a little while."

"Tishri, move," Estella commanded the basilisk to get off her leg. She drew herself up onto the bed, leaning tiredly against the headboard. "Bitematesss, leave me," she said to them, and they all retreated a safe distance from the two humans.

"You're sure you're all right?" Meris asked her again.

Estella nodded. "I—I'm just glad it's over," she said. "I don't like suffering like that, but I suppose Malfoy needed to get over himself."

Lestrange smiled slightly, pulling off his outer robe before carefully lying down next to the girl. "You should be more careful," he said softly. "Don't upset Malfoy even though he is just a pesky little spoiled brat. It isn't worth the anticipation and curses."

She gave him a small smiled, turning toward him as he reached out slowly, gently touching her arm. With determination not to be awkward, she slipped closer to him, leaning her head against his arm. "I like being comfortable," she excused herself. "And the bed is quite small."

"I didn't say you could sleep here," he chuckled, and she couldn't help but smirk as his arms slipped around her. "But I won't let you leave."

She laughed slightly, glad to be lying there where she was sure no one could hurt her, where no one would yell at her about Nymphadora. "Thanks," she told him, closing her eyes in relief. "Bitematesss…."

Meris shivered slightly as they slithered over him and her, but he didn't move. "That...is unusual," he said after a moment, and the serpents hissed in amusement.

"It takes some getting used to," Estella agreed, stretching slightly and yawning. "But they're lovely."

"All right," he shrugged, and fell silent to let her rest.

* * *

The next morning, Estella hurried to get to the Great Hall in time for breakfast. She couldn't stand the unusual mood in Slytherin, everyone seeming different to her. She decided that she wanted to be Ginny for the day, and easily charmed her hair before making her way into the Great Hall and over to the Gryffindor table.

Neville looked up from next to her and said, "Oh, hello, Ginny."

"Neville," Ginny sighed. "Hello."

"You've been hurt," he frowned knowingly. "What happened?"

"I was Cursed," she admitted. "But I'll be okay. I've already got help."

He looked at her for a moment longer, then turned back to his breakfast, barely eating a bite before asking with a stutter, "Are—are you excited about the b—ball?"

Ginny was confused for a moment before she replied, "Well, I can't go, since I'm not in fourth year. Otherwise, I think it would be lovely."

Neville's face turned red, and he stammered, "Well, do you think—if you want, I mean—would you want to go with me? No one else would…."

She was surprised at his question, though she immediately didn't want to, and he seemed to know this. "You don't have to," the boy said quickly. "It was just a thought."

Ginny smiled at him. "Of course I'll go with you, Neville," she said decisively. "After all, I'm sure going to such a thing alone would be awful. Make sure to brush up on your dancing, though."

"Oh, I have," Neville said, brightening up considerably. "I'll try not to step on your toes."

"Oh." Ginny couldn't help blink at his statement, then nodded. "Thanks, Neville."

A few minutes later, he was up and hurrying off toward one of his classes, probably late, a small grin on his face. She shook her head, determined to try to focus on her classes and homework before the First Task so that she had time to celebrate (or recover) with the others.


	25. First Task

**And finally the beginning of the Tri-Wizard Tournament! I was super slow in writing this chapter because I no longer have my Goblet of Fire book to reference. And looking up things online is difficult because I wanted the entire scene, not just facts. Oh, well. Here is the result, and I hope you enjoy!**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

Ginny woke the morning of the tournament, groaning as she heard some of the other girls chattering excitedly about what they would be going to see during the task. She saw Hermione enter the room, fully dressed with a worried expression on her face, and sat up as the brown-haired witch walked over to her.

"Good, you're awake," Hermione sighed. "Please hurry and come on down to the Great Hall. I have to go now, but I'll save you a seat."

"Okay, but I'm going to be with my brothers during the task," Ginny yawned, reaching out her hand and summoning a fresh robe. Hermione stared at her for a few seconds, then rolled her eyes at the younger witch and left the room.

With a look around the room, Ginny quickly got out of her bed and dressed before hurrying to the bathroom to do her hair. She tied her red hair back, scowling at it. "I promise," she said to herself in the mirror, "one day, that red will be completely gone. I swear it."

Ginny nodded firmly, striding from the room and making her way down the halls to the Great Hall, finding a seat next to Hermione. She looked across Hermione at Harry and said, "Good luck today, Harry."

"Thanks," the boy muttered, shaking his head slightly.

"Where's Ron?" Ginny frowned, looking between the two before she said, "Oh."

Harry just stared at the table in front of him as Hermione motioned Ginny to look down the table. Ginny frowned, finding Ron sitting with Dean and Seamus. "He's still being stupid."

Hermione turned to Harry and began to talk in a low, earnest tone, Ginny turning away from them. She quickly ate her breakfast, not looking up when McGonagall came to get Harry for the gathering of the champions.

The two girls walked down to the stands together, Hermione jumping in shock when she heard a roar. "Dragons," Ginny said with a nod. "Charlie helped bring them in the other day."

"I hope Harry will be okay," Hermione said, her brow furrowed in concern. "He said he had a plan…."

"He's smart enough," Ginny reassured Hermione. "I mean, he should know better than to go up against a dragon with no plan." She smiled slightly, then looked up to see Bill and Charlie waving at her. "I'll see you later this evening, probably," she told the girl. "I'm going to see my brothers now." She slipped away without another word, making her way through the crowd toward her brothers.

Ginny did not miss the young woman standing between her brothers, knowing full well the red-haired witch was Nymphadora. _She doesn't look right with red hair_ , Ginny thought to herself, almost smirking in amusement.

The moment she reached her brothers through the crowd, she hugged them both tightly, glad of Bill keeping his arm around her shoulders so it wasn't too awkward as she said, "Hi, Dora."

"Hello," Tonks answered with a grin. "Do I blend in, do you think?"

"No," Ginny rolled her eyes. "You don't look right with red hair."

"Damn," said Dora, pretending to be insulted.

Charlie raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't you swear in front of my innocent little sister," he teased.

Nymphadora laughed out loud at him, making several students look their way. "Shh, Charlie," she said, her hair morphing brown before she tossed it over her shoulders. "You'll draw too much attention to us."

Ginny snorted with laughter, though frowned as she realised that several Durmstrang students were muttering to each other in another language and motioning to Nymphadora. "I'm sure you meant to, but I don't think you should draw too much attention to yourself in this setting," she said to Dora quietly, making both her brothers grin. "There are too many...unusual people here."

Dora looked at her for a moment, then said, "I'm sure you don't want to know, but you sound like my mother."

Ginny's immediate response was to stick her tongue out at the young Auror, making her brothers laugh again. Bill shushed the others and motioned to the five judges. Ginny didn't say much as they watched them conference for a moment before turning to announce the beginning of the contest.

Dora and Ginny looked over at the dragon enclosures, and Ginny shivered as they announced the first contestant: Cedric Diggory. "I wouldn't want to go first," Bill said to Ginny, and she and Nymphadora agreed.

"I wouldn't want to do this at all unless I had some of the boys with me," Charlie admitted. "As beautiful as these dragons are, they're deadly. All of us have been injured by them at one time or another."

Ginny didn't speak, leaning forward to watch as the Hufflepuff seventh year walked out onto the field, a moment of absolute silence following his appearance. Everyone watched intently as Diggory approached the dragon quietly, his wand out.

"What's he going to do?" Bill said uneasily. "I can't imagine…."

Charlie's eyes widened as they all saw Cedric Transfigure what must have been a rock into a dog. The dog darted toward the dragon and then away, distracting the dangerous creature while Cedric moved carefully toward the golden egg that the nesting mother dragon had been guarding.

The boy was nearly there when the dragon suddenly turned on him, a jet of flame spewing from his mouth, and Estella gasped in horror as several of the other girls in the audience screamed. Charlie reached for his wand in case he had to run help, but the other dragon keepers were quickly there and Cedric came forward safely, though injured.

"He's got it!" came the announcement, and Nymphadora smiled in relief, joining the others in applauding for Cedric.

"He's done it," Charlie grinned. "Survived with only slight burns."

"Slight?" a younger witch nearby said in shock. "The side of his face—"

"Madam Pomfrey will put it back, don't worry," Estella said, rolling her eyes.

Nymphadora and a couple others laughed, though Charlie merely shook his head at them. "They're literally playing with fire," the young Weasley boy said. "Not something I would recommend."

A boy chuckled in the row before them and replied, "But it's a good show, isn't it?"

Ginny smiled to see Karntaan sitting in front of them, though none of them answered the boy. She saw Dora look at her, but she refused to look back at the young woman as the second champion was announced.

Ginny wasn't surprised to see that Fleur didn't do well at all. The girl completed the task, though the dragon that she had enchanted to sleep snored flames and burnt the skirt of her dress, Charlie slightly amused at the witch's difficulty.

"Charlie, be nice," Dora pouted, elbowing him teasingly. "It isn't easy with all that material, I swear."

"What of it?" Charlie chuckled, seeing Ginny's grin and laughing again. "Well, let's see what Krum decides to do. This should be interesting. The champions should have been told they weren't to hurt the dragons."

"You think he will because he's from Durmstrang," Dora frowned. "I'm sure not all students of Durmstrang are Dark wizards, Charlie, though I do think they would know more offensive magic than defensive magic."

"True," Bill agreed. "Wait and see, you two."

Ginny smiled, wondering how many times Bill had had to sort out differences between his brother and Nymphadora. She watched curiously as Krum entered the field, his wand also gripped tightly in his hand.

It did not take long for him to complete the task, though Ginny cringed at Charlie's yell of rage when the Durmstrang boy used a blinding curse on the dragon. The poor creature stomped around, crushing some of its own eggs as it tried to find and crush its opposition. Ginny didn't realise it for a few moments, but Dora leant closer to Charlie, her hand touching his slightly as she reminded him to stay calm.

The dragon keepers buzzed around in great concern, taking care of the poor mother dragon and its remaining eggs, but the damage was done. Krum stood next to his headmaster, who looked smug, but Viktor frowned to realise the damage he'd done to the creatures.

"They'd better subtract points for that," Charlie muttered under his breath. "That was not supposed to happen."

Ginny shook her head slightly as the other dragon keepers shot Krum scornful glances before finally clearing the field to prepare for the final contestant: Harry Potter. Dora looked at Charlie carefully. "Potter got the Hungarian Horntail, didn't he?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "He would get the most dangerous."

"He'll be all right," Ginny said confidently, despite hearing the Lestrange twins' joking about Harry finally being defeated by a dragon. She kicked the back of their chairs, and when they scowled at her, she leant down and whispered, "He belongs to the Dark Lord."

They both laughed, Estella laughing as well as she sat back with her brothers. A slight ripple of harsh laughter went through the crowd, and Dora leant over to the other witch. "What did you tell them?" she asked curiously.

Ginny just giggled, not saying a word as the Lestrange twins smirked, watching Potter slowly walk into the arena. Dora looked confused. "He hasn't even drawn his wand. Does he know what he's up against?"

"He saw Norbert before he was taken to the sanctuary," Ginny said, biting her lip. "But I doubt he truly understands what dragons are capable of."

At that moment, Harry dove out of the way of a burst of flame from the dragon that had discovered him. Both Lestrange twins said, "Oooh!" and hurried to the rail to watch better.

"Harry, use your wand!" Hermione half-screamed at him, and Ginny couldn't help but be concerned as well.

The boy finally grabbed his wand and shouted some spell, trying to keep away from the dragon that was now taking great pleasure in stalking him. Moments later, Bill shouted, "Look! He's called his broom!"

Ginny almost grinned as she watched the broom soar into Harry's hand, the boy soon teasing the dragon as he hovered just out of reach. "He wants it to follow him!" Charlie said in disbelief. "Is he crazy?! If she gets out of that chain…." And almost as soon as he spoke the words, the dragon mother roared and took off, breaking the chains on it as she spread her wings and followed Potter. "Damnit!" Charlie groaned. "I hope Harry will be all right, because she's the most bad tempered dragon I've ever encountered."

"Perhaps you should go help them, if you all have to recapture it after all this," Dora said, glancing at the astonished dragon keepers before looking after Potter and his fiery pursuer.

"She'll return to her nest," Charlie replied with a nod. "That's the good thing about her nesting right now. She'll always return as long as we have her little ones."

The crowd was becoming uneasy a few minutes later when Potter finally appeared, whizzing over the Forest and the crowd on his broom before plunging down toward the ground. The audience's applause turned into alarmed shrieks and yells when they realised the dragon was still after the boy.

"Damn, he can _fly_!" Nymphadora said in admiration, watching Harry skim right over the ground, easily plucking the golden egg from among the real ones in the nest. The dragon keepers quickly moved to distract the dragon as Harry soared back over the crowd, the egg held high for them to see. "He's better than you, Charlie!"

"At what?" Charlie smirked, and Bill laughed at the two. "He's done it!"

Most of the Gryffindors were ecstatic when the results were announced, as Harry and Viktor were tied for first place, Cedric was second so far, and Fleur was last, of course. Nymphadora whispered something to Charlie, then hugged Bill, telling him and Ginny that she was going to go off and celebrate with Hufflepuff House. Ginny hugged her goodbye as well without hesitation as it seemed she should, since her brothers had and they had all been sitting together.

Once Dora was gone, the boys turned to Ginny. "We're going to talk to the other dragon keepers," Charlie told her. "I guess we'll see you later, Stel."

"Goodbye," Ginny answered, quickly hurrying away from them in time to see Hermione run from the tent the champions had gathered in previous. The girl was in tears, and Ginny quickly went to her. "Hermione?" she asked. "Isn't Harry all right?"

"Oh, he's fine," Hermione sobbed. "He and Ron are just _so stupid_."

"What's happened now?" Ginny asked hesitantly.

"They—they're talking again," Hermione said in relief, tears still trickling down her face. "They're just—ugh. Boys, Ginny. I don't know how you put up with six brothers."

Ginny wrapped her arm around the girl's waist, Hermione sighing as she did the same. "Come on," she said to the younger witch. "Let's go up to the Common Room before everyone else arrives."

The two arrived in the Common Room quickly, though they were still surprised at how many people were already there. Hermione pulled Ginny up the stairs and into her dorm room, motioning her to be quiet. "I need to ask you something important," Hermione said finally, a slight blush on her cheeks as she bit her lip nervously.

"Oh?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do we need a Silencing Ward?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded, relief in her voice. "I always forget about those...I need to learn them. It would be a good thing to know."

Ginny nodded and put up the ward around them, Hermione watching curiously. "There," she said. "Now what was it you wanted to ask me?"

Hermione bit her lip again, then finally said, "Someone's asked me to the Yule Ball, and I don't know if I should go with him or not."

Ginny smiled. "Good! Who is it?"

"Erm...Viktor Krum," Hermione whispered.

"Hermione!" Ginny gasped in shock. "Really?"

"Yes," Hermione said, wringing her hands. "Ginny, he's so nice; he really is! He likes me because I didn't follow him around like his fangirls do, and now—should I really go with him?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Ginny shrugged. "Do you like him?"

"Well, I think so," Hermione said, slightly confused.

"Then go with him," Ginny told her, a grin spreading across her face. "Imagine, going to the Yule Ball with someone so famous!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's not why I would go, Ginny," she said. "That's the point. He is famous! He's competing against Harry, and Diggory! I can't go with Viktor...could I?"

Ginny plopped down onto Hermione's bed. "You are the very last person to worry about what people think," she told the brown-haired girl. "People will always talk, but it's all how you react to it that matters." She held back a smirk at her own words. "I think you should go. Don't tell Harry or Ron anything but that it's a secret who your partner is."

The older girl sighed and sat down next to Ginny. "I really would just rather go with Ron or Harry, but they both still don't know that I'm a girl."

Ginny giggled, and Hermione smiled slightly. "Hermione," Ginny said firmly, "you've got to work on your dress, and all that. Since you're going with Krum, you have to be at your very best."

"So you think I should go?" Hermione asked.

"Yes!" Ginny clapped her hands in delight. "Ron will be sooo jealous! He won't speak to you for the rest of the year, probably."

"What?" Hermione looked horrified.

"Or at least the next task," Ginny shrugged. "But Hermione, this is the perfect chance to make everyone realise you're not all about books and studying and learning! You'll have fun! I'll be going too: Neville's asked me."

"He asked me too," Hermione sighed. "He's smarter about girls than Harry and Ron, even if he can't string a sentence together in front of them. At least I knew what he meant, though I felt really bad that I had to turn him down."

Ginny nodded. "Well, I'm going with Neville, otherwise I wouldn't be attending because I'm only a third year. So thanks for telling him no."

Hermione giggled, turning to her mirror. "I do have plans," she said. "And I could help you with your hair if you needed. Do you have a dress for the ball?"

"Uhhh, yes," Ginny nodded, almost sickened at the thought of the dress robes Molly had bought her. "It'll need a bit of work, though."

 _You can get a different dress, Estella._

Ginny jumped in shock, then got to her feet to cover it up. "Come on, Hermione," she said firmly. "Let's go wait in the Common Room for them all to get here." She led the way out of the dormitory, deciding that as soon as she could escape them all, she would go visit her parents in the Chamber.

About an hour and a half later, Estella escaped the Gryffindor Common Room, making her way to the nearest Chamber entrance. She breathed a sigh of relief the moment she was inside the passage, walking toward the main room and her parents' room.

Estella was shocked, as she turned a corner in one of the passageways, to find her mother standing at the end of it, waiting for her. "Mum?" she asked, instantly nervous, though the woman motioned to her. She walked forward, seeing Meretta Parkington's face break into a smile.

She didn't question it as she walked into her biological mother's arms, hugging the witch tightly. "I love you," Estella whispered, her face hidden in her mother's dress.

Meretta merely hugged her again as a response, then said, "Come now. Your father wants to talk to you."

Estella walked beside her mother to her parents' room, Reginald opening the door and smiling at her. "We're so proud of you," he said, wrapping her in a hug.

She was confused, though she hugged him firmly. "What—what did I do?" she asked.

"You handled yourself well these past couple days," her father told her, leading the way into their room. "We watched Search and Curse to make sure you'd be all right."

"All of it?" Estella said, glancing between her parents.

"Even the Nymphadora part," Meretta agreed with a smirk. "You told everyone her secret."

"It won't change anything," Estella sighed. "I didn't know she'd been so important to Lauren and Alvin, but then Dora was at school with them a couple years, I suppose."

Reginald nodded. "When you and Nymphadora were talking, I was amused to hear her tell you to live your life as Estella Parkington," he told her.

Estella smiled slightly. "Well, I think it would be better if I could stop being two people," she told him. "I would like to not have to pretend anymore."

Meretta sat down on the edge of the bed. "As soon as you can, speak out as your true self," she told her daughter. "Start with the students here at Hogwarts, and then tell the Weasleys you won't go by the name Ginny anymore."

"That sounds wonderful," Estella sighed, curling up in the chair in the room. "If everyone just knew who I was."

"Spread the word," Reginald told her. "Start with your little Gryffindor friends." He chuckled slightly. "After all, how amusing would it be for Estella Parkington to attend the Yule Ball with Neville Longbottom?"

"Poor Neville," Estella said, hissing Tishri into her lap. "I could tell him about it...he would have to know what I looked like before the Ball, though. He already knows I'm different; all I need to do is tell him the reason."

"You could have found someone better," Meretta frowned, then added, "but I understand." She smiled. "I wouldn't have wanted to be left out just because I was too young, either."

"But you surely had older friends that would have asked you," Estella asked her mother with a small smirk.

"No one would have dared ask me," Meretta rolled her eyes. "Not even my own brother. Imagine, Estella. Rabastan Lestrange and Regulus Black were in my year. Your father and Anthony Sage were a bit older, but neither of them liked me at first."

Reginald smiled, slipping his arm around his wife. "We were too distracted by serpents," he excused himself. "But I soon learned what a lovely young witch you were and I asked for your hand at the first opportunity."

Estella was thrilled to see her parents reminiscing happily about their past and watched her father plant a kiss on Meretta's cheek. "Share magic?" Teneski hissed hopefully, poking her head out of Reginald's sleeve.

"Hush, young one," Reginald said to her, chuckling. Estella giggled at the two and allowed her bitemates to all slither off of her, some gathering in her lap and others going to see their nestmates held by the other Parselmouth.

"I'll do it," Estella said decisively. "All my classmates will know the truth by the end of the year."

"Good," Meretta smirked. "I look forward to the day that no one can call you Ginny anymore."

The girl smiled. "Me too," she agreed, then drew a deep breath. "I think I'll go back to Slytherin tonight and hope that I haven't made any of them angry."

Reginald looked at his daughter proudly. "Estella, you've done well," he told her. "You'll be fine. Now let me make sure the Lestrange boy healed you properly and you can be on your way."

She got to her feet and walked over to him, allowing him to run his wand down her back to make sure Meris had healed her completely. He chuckled after a moment, and said to his wife, "The Lestrange boy was right. The young Malfoy isn't very good at the Cruciatus."

"Did Meris heal me right?" Estella asked her father.

"Yes, he did," Reginald answered. "He knows his Curse well. You're fine to go now.

"Thanks," she said, turning and hugging her father before going to hug her mother as well. "I'll make you both proud, I promise." She felt greatly encouraged as she left her parents' room, their embraces still fresh in her mind.


	26. Preparation

**I know it's been ages, but I've literally had no inspiration for this. I took forever to even eek out this chapter. *sigh***

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

Ginny sat on Hermione's bed, watching the brown-haired witch looking through her trunk. "Here," Hermione said in triumph, pulling a dress from the trunk and turning to unfold and show it to Ginny.

The younger girl watched in delight as the pale blue material unfolded to be a beautiful dress, and she couldn't help but be jealous, knowing what a disaster of a dress Molly had got for her. "It's beautiful, Hermione," Ginny breathed. "It'll be perfect!"

"You think?" Hermione looked pleased. "I was worried it wouldn't be right...I want it to be a surprise…."

"It looks wonderful," Ginny nodded. "I wish I had half as beautiful a dress."

Hermione smiled nervously. "I am really excited," she sighed. "But...well, I'll have to walk in with the Champions and all. I have to look my best. It'll take me hours to tame my hair."

Ginny laughed. "Yeah," she agreed. "It'll take me hours to get my robes to not look so shabby."

"You usually don't look bad," Hermione told her. "I do wonder where you get your robes sometimes, though."

"Oh," Ginny grinned. "I borrow from my friends sometimes." She wasn't about to tell Hermione about her wardrobe in the Chamber. "Anyway, I think I'll be going: I've got a bit of homework."

The girl immediately went to the Slytherin Common Room, making sure that her hair and face looked as it should. She hurried up to her room and found Megan sitting alone on her bed, staring at the wall. "Megan?" Estella asked in slight concern. "Are you all right?"

After a moment, Megan turned to look at her and hissed, "I wasss communicating with Sssisha through our bond."

"Oh, sorry," Estella said quickly. "I'll leave you alone."

"No, it's fine," Megan answered. "What was it you wanted? Were you looking for someone?"

"...no," Estella hesitated. "I...was trying to think about what to do about a dress for the Yule Ball. The dress Molly got for me is not very good."

"Ask your parents," Megan answered with a nod, then frowned. "You're going to the Ball? With whom?"

The black-haired girl bit her lip. "Neville Longbottom," she said finally, seeing the shocked look on Megan's face. "Well, I didn't know if I would get another chance, so I jumped at it."

Megan gave her an understanding smirk. "Sure. I'm sure one of the boys might have asked you if you ever behaved here," she laughed.

"Well, if I'd thought about it, I might have risked it," Estella replied. "Though the Ball is only a fortnight away."

"True," Megan agreed, getting to her feet. "So how about you go visit your parents, and I go visit my bitemate?"

"Okay," Estella nodded, the two quickly leaving the room as the serpents she was holding hissed excitedly. They were soon in the Chamber, parting ways in the main room after Estella had made sure that Megan knew how to find the second sand room.

Estella hurried to meet her parents in another room, her father telling her that they were not in their own room and explaining where they were. She smiled as she entered the Security Room of the Chamber, the scene clearing before her. Her parents both turned to look at her, both grinning, and she grinned back uncertainly.

"We were reliving some of our...younger memories," her father smirked. "But we're finished."

"About a dress for you," Meretta said briskly, hurrying to her daughter's side. "I believe you will be going with the twins and their mother to find proper attire for the Ball. You'll just charge it to our account at Gringotts."

Estella was confused for a moment, then leaned into her mother's side to hide her facial expression. Her father was watching her, however, and said, "You simply tell them you want to charge the family account and sign the paper they give you. It isn't that difficult."

She nodded uncertainly, and Meretta grinned knowingly. "You'll get used to it," she told the girl. "I don't want you running around looking second-hand anymore."

"But..." Estella kept herself from truly asking her concerns, and her father chuckled.

"I doubt you could spend too much, if that's what you're worried about, Estella," he said in amusement. "We're a little wealthy, though not quite as flashy as some."

"Naridia will help you know what to get," Meretta smirked. "She knows what I think about girls' clothes."

Estella couldn't help smiling back at her mother. "Well, thanks," she said, hugging the witch tightly. "Will she tell me when we will be going, or do I need to write her?"

Meretta answered, "Just talk to the twins about it. You can write a letter together if you need to, but remember that the children usually have the parents' ear."

"Of course." The girl pulled away from her mother and hugged her father before saying, "I'll leave you to your memories." She hurried out of the room to the sound of her mother's amused giggles as she went to find Megan.

* * *

Brianna and Samantha communicated to Estella within the next couple of days the time they would be leaving to go shopping with their mother, and Estella joined them in the Deep, waiting for her. Both girls smiled and hugged their mother properly, though Estella merely gave the woman a polite nod.

Naridia took their hands and disapparated, taking the three girls away from Hogwarts. As they walked down the street, Estella recognising it as the market close to the Charlestons' home, Naridia asked, "What do you have in mind for your dress, Estella?"

"I want a black dress," Estella replied firmly. "Mother said you would know what she would approve of."

"Ha," laughed Naridia. "I used to. We shall see."

The four entered a sharp-looking shop and Brianna motioned the younger girl to follow her. "Samantha's got to find herself a robe with Mum," she told Estella. "You and I will find you a dress, and we'll show Mum at the end. Samantha has a date, but I don't."

Estella raised an eyebrow. "Did he ask the wrong one?"

Brianna giggled, though she shook her head. "He's definitely not my type, so that's okay." She motioned Estella toward a rack of dress. "These are good quality," she told her friend. "You should choose one of these."

"But these all have...corsets." Estella looked at Brianna with a frown.

"All respectable pureblood women wear corsets," Brianna told her. "And every pureblood girl has that look—" she pointed to Estella's face "on her face when she comes to this point in her life. This is your future. Embrace it."

"I...no." Estella shook her head.

"Stel," Brianna said with a small smirk, "I knew you would hate this idea. Unfortunately, your mother knew that you wouldn't take kindly to it either. Look: I can help you find something that isn't too uncomfortable, but we've got to do it before Mother comes back. She has a knack for putting me and Samantha in the most awful dresses. We've become so thankful for school uniforms."

Estella bit her lip, and Brianna added, "It's just one evening. I promise you'll survive, and then you'll even have a proper dress to wear out to pureblood gatherings. You should probably get two or three dresses today in case you can't get back to the store anytime soon."

The two searched through the dresses, finding a black one and a dark blue one almost immediately. Brianna was frowning, looking through the last two or three when she bit her lip and pulled out a dress for her friend's inspection. Estella's eyes widened as she reached out to touch the soft material. The dress was black with green, silver, and red detailing along the hems and neckline. "It's me," she said softly.

"This one we have to get fitted for you," Brianna decided. "And it's perfect: the corset is black and dark green." She turned around and motioned to a woman that had been watching them. "Estella would like to be measured and have these three dresses altered for her," she said to the worker.

The woman agreed immediately and told the two girls to follow her. It did not take long for the woman to measure Estella, then asking Brianna, "You do not need measurements?"

"I have mine from last time," Brianna answered, leaving the dresses with the woman. "We will pick these up at the desk when our mother is ready to leave."

"Of course, Ms. Charleston," the woman said, and walked away from them.

Brianna smirked slightly as she led Estella through the shop to find her mother, Samantha immediately demanding to know what the girl had got. "You'll see when we're done," Estella answered with a smirk.

Samantha rolled her eyes at her twin and her cousin. "Fine," she said, turning back to her mother. "Weren't we finished anyway?"

"I have a few things to get," Naridia answered, "though it shouldn't take long."

And the woman was right: very quickly, they had made their way to the counter, Brianna guiding her cousin in knowing what to say and how to act.

Estella did not miss Naridia's smile of pride at her eldest daughter, knowing that the woman was proud of the girl for passing on her knowledge. She was glad when they apparated back to Hogwarts, the girls making sure their packages were separate before they said goodbye to their mother and began to walk back to the Common Room.

The three giggled over Samantha's and Estella's new dresses for a few moments before Estella excused herself and went straight to the Chamber to see her parents.

Both her parents greeted her, though Reginald soon left the two females alone to exclaim over the new dresses. Meretta held up the girl's black dress and giggled delightedly. "I want to see you try this on," she told her daughter. "So I can show you how the corset works. Go on."

Estella smiled and immediately began to change her robe. She yelped at how tightly her mother pulled her corset, Meretta laughing in amusement. "Look in the mirror," she told the girl. "You look so different, so much older."

Estella turned to look into the mirror and stared at the image of herself. "I don't look like myself," she breathed.

"Of course not," Meretta smirked at her. "You are my daughter, and should not look like a Weasley, despite the traits you've accidentally picked up."

"Mum—Mother—I'm doing my best..." Estella bit her lips slightly.

"Oh, I see that more now," Meretta sighed. "I've watched you more and know you better now. Though I still think you're far too much like me for your own good."

The girl smiled and laughed, feeling her mother's arm wrap around her shoulders. "I don't want to disappoint you," she said softly, reaching to hug her mother in return. "I'll try my hardest."

Meretta hugged her daughter tightly. "Good," she said. "Now go tell the Longbottom boy who he's really taking to the Yule Ball."

Estella giggled outright and immediately gathered her robes, hurrying back to the Slytherin Common Room. She would do it after breakfast and risk being late to class so she could talk to him for a few minutes.

The looks on her dorm mates' faces were enough to make her burst out laughing before she disappeared into the bathroom to change into her nightgown. Estella was glad things seemed to be improving, concerning her parents and her friends.

* * *

The next morning, Ginny did as she'd said she would: joined Neville at breakfast. He greeted her simply and asked, "What do you want?"

"What do you mean?" she asked him, confused.

"You have something important to say," Neville answered her. "Go ahead."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I forgot you're blessed," she said. "Well..." she leaned closer to him "you know I'm adopted, don't you?"

Neville froze for a moment, then nodded and continued eating. "What about it?"

"Well, I'd like to be myself for the Yule Ball," Ginny answered him honestly. "But I don't want you to be disturbed."

"Are you that different?" Neville asked.

"Yes," Ginny sighed. "Estella is a lot different."

The boy frowned. "You have two personalities?"

Estella grinned. "Until I can be Estella completely," she said. "I have different faces to different people."

"I want to see," Neville frowned.

"I'll walk to class with you and show you," she answered definitely. "Let's hurry."

She was glad when the two hurried off together and she was able to take her charms off and look the boy straight in the eyes. "Molly wanted me to look like a Weasley, which is why Ginny's hair and face are charmed."

"But you're a...Parkington, right?" Neville said, scrunching up his face in concentration.

"Yes," Estella answered in delight. "My real parents are Death Eaters on the run from the Ministry."

"They were the last assignment my parents ever had as Aurors," Neville said very quietly.

"Yes," Estella nodded, biting her lip. "Sorry about that."

Neville gave her a strange look. "You couldn't have stopped anything," he told her. "Not even your mother's protection and revenge."

Estella frowned in alarm. "How do you know all this?" she asked him.

The boy was silent for a few moments, then said, "Well, I—I—" he sighed and said, "I guess I can trust you. Meris told me. We're friends. Sort of. At least, we don't hate each other."

"Good," Estella said softly. "He's a lovely young boy, Neville. I consider him a friend as well, though I don't know if he would say the same for me."

Neville gave her a small grin. "He is unusual," he told her. "Now don't tell anyone...Estella."

"Of course not," she answered. "Though my parents have ways of listening in on me."

"They are, Missstress," Tishri chimed in amusement.

"Tishri!" Estella hissed in concern as Neville jumped in shock at the sound of the hissing. "Fine. Bitematesss, show yourselves."

The bitemates wasted no time slithering out to see their Mistress's friend. She received strange looks from other students as she casually stroked each bitemate and introduced them in turn to Neville.

"You are a Parselmouth, then," Neville said in a hushed voice.

"Yes," Estella answered. "It's the defining trait of the Parkingtons, I think." She could sense her father's amusement through the bitemates and laughed as well.

"Will you bring them to the Ball?" Neville asked, seeming slightly uncomfortable with the idea.

"I haven't thought about it," Estella answered. "Maybe a couple, because most of them don't like motions such as dancing or flying. They prefer being on someone in a duel: it makes them happy."

"Do you use them to attack others," Neville frowned.

"Only when I am threatened and cannot overcome my opponent in a duel," Estella answered. "Which is never, usually."

Neville smiled slightly. "You do take after your parents," he told her. "But I think it'll be all right for you to be yourself, though I might forget. You're still Ginny to me."

She nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Neville," she said, and hurried away from him, hissing for her bitemates to conceal themselves once again.


	27. Yule Ball

Estella stood in front of the mirror, trying to get her corset right when someone came running into the room. "Can someone help me with my hair?" the girl cried. "I can't do anything with it!"

"What?" two of the girls looked up from their books. Guage rolled her eyes at the newcomer. "Ask Draco to fix you," she said to Pansy.

Megan stopped halfway to Estella to help with her dress. "You're going with Draco?" she said in slight shock."

Pansy smirked. "He owed me," she said easily.

"Megan," Estella said softly, "Come on."

"I'll do your hair, Pansy," Brianna said, hurrying toward the girl and ushering her out of the room.

"I don't care what the reason," Megan hissed angrily, "she does not deserve him!" She whirled on Guage and snapped, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was no use," Guage sighed. "Pansy told me her plans ages ago. She's been planning it since the beginning of the year anyway."

Estella answered Megan in Parseltongue. "I agree she does not deserve Draco, but aren't you going anyway?"

Megan sighed, pushing Estella away from her. "Theo asked me to go, but he was upset that you were already taken. So I'm out of luck either way."

Estella stared at Megan. "Why would Theo care?"

Megan smirked. "He's curious about you, I think," she said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to court you later; he was that disappointed."

"Oh." Estella bit her lip. "I don't want to think about that yet."

"Just don't ruin any of your chances," Megan told her. "Leave your friendships with the boys open."

"Okay," Estella answered. "Well, are you going to get ready?"

"It won't take me long," Megan shrugged. "I'll get ready in a few minutes."

Estella smiled and walked toward the door. "I'll see you later, then," she said, and left the room. She hurried down the halls, leaving the Slytherin Common Room and the dungeons on her way to the Entrance Hall where she was to meet Neville.

She patiently stood by the stairs, waiting. Several people greeted her as she stood there, including two or three Durmstrang students, but she carefully turned away.

It was with great relief that she saw Neville enter the place nervously. She smiled as she walked toward him, the boy finally noticing her once she was close. He gave her an impressed look and said, "You look good."

"Thanks," she answered breathlessly. "You don't look terrible either." She shouldn't have been so surprise that Neville had been turned out looking like a respectable young pureblood, but she couldn't help marveling at it all the same.

"Look: there's Harry and Parvarti," Neville said in awe. "He looks terribly nervous."

"He and Ron are terrible with girls," she explained, seeing Ron and Padma behind the other two. "Wait til you see Hermione. She'll look amazing."

To Estella's surprise, Megan and Theo arrived more quickly, Megan dragging him over to Neville and Estella. "Parkington," Theo said. "Longbottom. Do either of you know if Lauren and Alvin are here yet?"

Estella shook her head. "I've just barely arrived myself," she answered.

"They're trying to stop a duel back the way I cam," Neville answered. "Some jealous lovers, I think."

"Well, well," Theo said. "Longbottom does pay attention sometimes."

"There's Draco," Estella singsonged, pointing behind them.

"Ugh," Neville said before he could stop himself. "Well," he said in response to their smirks, "wouldn't you think a Malfoy could do better than her?"

Megan's mouth fell open, and Theo laughed. "That's a strong opinion, Longbottom," he said.

Neville's ears turned red, but he shut up. Estella answered for him, "Those who aren't part of their crowd still watch and hold them to a very high standard."

"Yeah," Neville agreed. "What she—Hermione!"

Everyone turned to see what he was looking at, and Theo seemed equally shocked, though he hid it much better. Hermione Granger, the bushy-haired Mudblood most of them were used to taunting, was walking down the stairs, no longer looking awkward and out of place, but perfectly content and almost smug.

Megan opened her mouth to say something, but Estella beat him to it. "Damn!" she exclaimed softly, just as she'd heard Karnt do it in Hogsmeade.

"Talking about me, Parkington?" Estella glanced up to see Draco smirking at her.

"Oh no, Malfoy, quite the opposite," she smirked. "Look behind you."

Draco looked round, his mouth opening slightly in shock as he laid eyes on the brown-haired girl in the light blue gown. He didn't say a word, Pansy nudging him subtly, though they were all shocked yet again when the man who approached the young girl turned out to be Viktor Krum.

Megan glanced at where Harry and Ron had gone with their dates, and smirked. "Look at Potter and Weasley. They had no idea!"

Pansy frowned at Estella. "Did the Mudblood only tell you?" she demanded.

"Yes," Estella answered, grinning from ear to ear. "It's a good thing she doesn't look like that every day."

"Look at Karkaroff!" Theo smirked. "He doesn't look happy...not that I blame him this time."

"Can you imagine, though?" Pansy winced. "The Mudblood and the star Seeker?"

"Oh, she doesn't really like him," Estella said, biting her lip as they looked at her suspiciously. "She's trying to make Ron jealous," she explained with a sigh. "Ron didn't know she was a girl, and thought she was all about books and things. She wanted to set him straight."

Megan rolled her eyes. "She's just going to make him angry, isn't she?"

Theo perked up. "There's Alvin and Lauren," he said brightly, holding out his arm to Megan. "If you'll excuse us." The two nodded to the others and walked away toward Theo's brother and his girlfriend.

Neville leaned closer to Estella and said, "Come on: let's go."

Estella excused herself and Neville from Draco and Pansy, then allowed Neville to lead her into the Great Hall. "The Champions have to begin the dance," Neville told her. "Harry's complained to us about it the whole week. But as soon as they've danced for a minute, we can join them."

"Then we'll do so as soon as possible," Estella answered. "I wouldn't want them to be any more awkward than they already are."

"Okay," Neville agreed, looking forward to the dancing.

It wasn't too long before the Champions were called to begin the dance, and the many other couples watched them closely, wanting to quickly join in. One thing Estella did notice before she walked out onto the dance floor with Neville was Cho Chang's silver dress. She immediately began to wonder about an iridescent dress that looked like serpent scales—she tore her mind away from that train of thought. There would be time enough later to think about such things.

She took Neville's arm, walking out with him and beginning to dance with ease, avoiding the boy's nervous steps. It took quite a while, but eventually Neville calmed enough to have a quiet conversation with her as they danced. "So did you bring any of your serpents with you tonight?" Neville asked.

"Two," Estella smiled. "One on my neck, the other on my arm."

"Oh." Neville seemed to stumble slightly, and Estella hissed for the two to show themselves.

Icythan and Tasarek slithered into view, Icythan coiled around Estella's right arm as Tasarek hissed a greeting from his mistress's shoulders. A girl dancing nearby gasped and nearly jumped into her partner's arms, making the bitemates hiss in amusement. Neville was amused until Icythan tasted his skin, the boy tripping and would have fallen if Estella hadn't kept him on his feet.

"He wanted to know about your magic," Estella explained. "They will not hurt you, Neville. I have told them you are a friend."

"Well that's nice to know," Neville muttered. "Shall we take a break after this song?"

The bitemates cut off her answer, Icythan insistently hissing, "Massster isss here! He isss waiting for Missstress!"

Estella frowned, then nodded to Neville, wondering what on earth her serpents were talking about. It was a moment later when Neville and she were standing to the side, laughing together, that a tall young man in Durmstrang robes walked up to them.

"Pardon me," he said to the couple. "I was wondering if I could have a dance with the lovely young witch here."

"Oh," said Estella, flustered. "Um—"

To her shock, the boy added softly, "Essstella, it'sss I."

Neville was about to speak, but she beat him to it. "Yes," she answered, seeing Tasarek quiet at the approach of the older boy. "Neville, why don't you see if one of the other girls would like to dance?"

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Neville said in concern, looking at the Durmstrang boy in doubt. "Estella…."

"Look," Estella said, motioning across the Hall to Harry and Ron. "They haven't danced since the first dance. Go ask one of those girls. I bet they're desperate to get away from them. Go on, Neville."

"Okay," he frowned at the boy, who did not speak to him. "Be careful."

"Of course," she answered simply, then took the boy's arm, going straight back to the floor.

As she slipped into her father's arms, she whispered, "What are you doing here?"

He smiled, twirling her carefully before answering, "I wanted at least one dance with you. I figured it was a special enough occasion to risk it."

"It's dangerous," she sighed, then smiled. "But I'm glad you're here. Aren't you concerned about MadEye, and the others here?"

"Not really," Reginald smirked, then hissed softly, "Parssseltongue, Essstella."

"Won't he know who you are?" Estella said, biting her lip as she looked up at him.

Reginald leaned close to her as he spun quickly with her in his arms. "He'sss not himssself," he murmured. "He'sss an old friend, and won't turn me in."

Confused, Estella stayed quiet until Reginald offered to get them drinks. She smiled and agreed to it, waiting patiently by one of the pillars for him to return. She was glad when he returned, the two standing there together as they sipped their drinks.

"Be careful," he grinned. "Don't drink it too fast in case it's spiked."

"McGonagall has been guarding it," Estella said confidently.

"Except for when she was dancing with Severus," Reginald smirked. "Hardly guarded then, do you think? Ah. Here comes one of them."

Estella didn't turn around until she felt an arm wrap around her waist and had red hair fall into her face as one of her twin brothers grinned at her. "Hey," he said to her, then looked at the man in Durmstrang robes. "What are you doing with my baby sister?" he smirked. "You know she's much too naive and gentle for the likes of—"

She had elbowed him in the stomach to get him to let go of her. "I'll have you know that we've had quite a bit of fun this evening," she told him haughtily. "Fred."

"I'm not Fred," the twin disagreed. "He's with Angelina." He nodded to his twin, out dancing with Angelina Johnson.

"You are not," Estella answered, smirking as her bitemates agreed with her. "You either switched to confuse her, or she accepted the offer to switch. You can't fool me, Fred. I know your magic and you need to accept that."

"Ah," Fred sighed. "Well then—" he brightened up "tell me who this is, then. I haven't seen him around."

"I'm called Reginald Parkington," the man said simply, his dark eyes boring into the Weasley's. "Any further questions, young Weasley?"

Fred stared at them, stuttering for an answer until Estella spotted a bigger issue. "Nymphadora!" she gasped. "She's here!" She turned to her father, looking perfectly calm. "You've got to leave," she told him firmly. "Go, before she sees you."

The Weasley frowned. "Too late," he said. "She's spotted us."

"Damn," Estella snapped. "Go, go!" She turned away from her father and walked up to her brother. "Do you feel like dancing?"

"Do I feel like being dragged off the dance floor by an angry Auror?" Fred translated. "No. No, I do not. But I'll casually stand here and help you if I can."

Estella tried to calm her feeling of panic as Nymphadora approached them, Fred commenting, "I don't even know how you knew it was her."

Icythan raised his head and hissed, "Bitematesss knew."

The black-haired witch did not translate as Nymphadora reached them, her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, the witch in long dark purple robes. "Estella," she said without a greeting. "That Durmstrang student you were with—where's he gone?"

"All hands on deck," Estella said solemnly, shocked as Nymphadora grabbed her by the wrist.

"Excuse us," she said to Fred with a polite nod.

"Let go of me," Estella hissed angrily as Icythan and Tasarek began to hiss, " _Sissshausss! Sissshausss!_ "

"I sssaid she isss never _hisssusss_!" Estella snapped, hurrying along so she wouldn't be dragged after the witch.

Nymphadora led the younger witch outside, saying to her sternly, "You should not be meeting that man, Estella. He is a wanted wizard."

She glared at Nymphadora. "I can see him if I _want to_!" she snapped at the young Auror. "I can see whoever I like!"

The two were suddenly very aware of how many couples were around them, most of them having been wholeheartedly embracing. Nymphadora grabbed Estella by the front of her robes and pulled her aside, between a bush and a statue. "Estella," she said worriedly, "I don't want you to get hurt! You need to leave your parents' situation alone!"

"You don't want me to be hurt?" Estella said in astonishment. "You're the one in danger! My parents love me! They don't want me to be around _you_! You know this!"

"It is very unwise to stand between the Ministry and a fugitive," Nymphadora warned her firmly.

"I am underaged, and you cannot hold me here against my will," Estella yelled at the older witch, wrenching her arm away and going to march away.

A shadow appeared at the doorway of the castle, and horror filled her as she realised it was Professor Snape. Within seconds, Dora had pulled Estella back into the shadows, shushing into her ear as she drew her wand. "Don't," Estella hissed to her bitemates and Dora at the same time. She frowned slightly that Nymphadora felt different and realised what had happened the second Snape had cast a spell at them, Dora blocking it. She had morphed to look like a young man.

"There will be no stealing lovers this evening," she called out in a male voice, sounding very much like Snape himself. "Get your own. Ten points to Snape."

Estella couldn't help giggling at Dora's words, though in the next instant, he was looming over them, his wand held at his side. "Parkington," he said coldly, frowning between her and the boy. "Detention, Parkington. As for you—" he glared at the young man, who merely smirked in return.

"Hufflepuff," Tonks supplied helpfully after a moment. "You could just ask, you know. I don't like greasy-haired gits picking through my thoughts."

"Twenty points from Hufflepuff," Snape hissed, glaring at him. "Get inside, both of you." He strode away from them, and Estella began to breathe easier.

"You don't even go to school anymore!" Estella muttered. "He shouldn't be able to do that."

"Oh, he does," Tonks said knowingly, grinning as she looked back at the couples being blasted out of their hiding places. "Miss Parkington, may I have this dance?" She held out her hand to the young witch politely.

Estella stared at her in disgust, stepping back. "You are insane!" she snapped. "I hate you!"

Tonks nodded. "I know. Is that a yes?"

The younger witch growled at her, finally slapping her hand into hers. "Fine," she grumbled, and the two walked into the Great Hall once more. Estella didn't say much, feeling very awkward until their dance was over and Tonks suggested getting a drink before they left for the evening.

Nymphadora was easily talking about the decorations and the professors and things that had happened to her at school when Estella became very aware that Draco was approaching them. Estella elbowed Dora in the ribs and the older witch protested slightly before noticing Draco.

"Oh, hello there, Malfoy," said the dark-haired boy. "May I help you?"

Draco gave him a strange look, then said, "Parkington, do you think you could tell Megan to leave me alone? She's been shadowing me and it's unbearable."

Estella raised an eyebrow. "She just wants a dance, probably," she said. "Really, Draco. You should have been able to figure that out."

Tonks chuckled, wrapping his arm around Estella's shoulders. "It's a man thing," he laughed. "We're plagued with it." And Tonks laughed some more.

"Malfoy!"

Estella turned at the sound of the voice, though Malfoy flinched slightly. "Karntaan!" she yelled back, grinning at the younger Lestrange twin. "Where's Ro?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Probably sleeping. Do I get a dance?"

"Is that how you ask for a dance?" Tonks said, pretending surprise. "Tell me more, Master Lestrange."

"Castella—or should I call you Castiel?—you are entirely out of place and out of character," Karnt said confidently. "You are much too noticeable to come incognito to a place like Hogwarts."

"You should dance," Estella suggested to the two.

"Oi!" Karnt said, pained. "She's much too tall, Estella. Don't play like that."

"At least you're not Rohan," Estella grinned. "He wouldn't even stand here and tease."

Dora stepped back into the shadows, morphing into a younger, smaller girl about Karnt's height. "Better?" she smirked, receiving a look of incredulity from a Durmstrang student.

Karntaan smirked. "Much better," he agreed, holding out his hand to her in spite of Draco's warning hiss. "Malfoy, have a little fun before the Dark Lord returns," he advised the blonde before whisking Dora away from the others.

"That leaves us," Estella observed cheerfully. "Draco, go find Megan and ask her to dance. I refuse to ask you before you ask her."

"Girls are not supposed to ask," Draco said to her in annoyance, then turned and walked away.

"Well how rude," Estella said to herself, then walked away, ready to leave for the evening. She could not see Neville anywhere as she hurried toward the stairs, wondering where Hermione and Viktor, Harry, and Ron had gone. She resigned herself to walking back to the Common Room alone, then began to walk toward the dungeons quietly, staying in the shadows as she hurried along.

She was glad to walk back into her dorm room, safe from the outside world. Brianna sat up, looking at her. "How was it?" she asked expectantly.

Estella lifted her hands, raising a ward around them before saying, "I danced with Neville for a while, and Father was there for a few minutes until Dora showed up, and then after a run-in with Snape, Dora and I had a dance. I then told Draco that he needed to go dance with Megan, and I left right after. It's been an interesting night."

"It sounds like it," came a sleepy voice and Guage appeared from behind her curtain. "Well, Reyalallie hasn't come back yet, and neither has Samantha."

"I doubt she will," Brianna sighed. "It sounded like she didn't intend to stay here tonight."

Estella stared at Brianna. "What will your mother say?"

Brianna sighed. "Can't tell her," she answered. "I'd just rather sleep through it and pretend I didn't know."

"Oh." Estella sighed as she stripped off her gown and pulled on a thin nightgown. "Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight," the others answered, and Estella quieted to sleep, trying to force her mind to rest.


	28. Chapter 28

**Aaaand it's been two months since I update. A crucio for me, then. :)**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

A few days later, Estella rose early in the morning and went to the Hospital Wing to report for her apprenticeship. She frowned to see more of the beds were filled, and as she walked into the office to find her apron, she greeted Madam Pomfrey and asked her, "Was there a fight? So many new students here."

"Veela," Madam Pomfrey grumbled. "They got carried away with their mates at the ball and shredded them up a bit. Their magic is too different: the wounds aren't healing properly, but I'm working on a bit of of salve that will help with that." She walked off, muttering about "dragons" and "Veela," then called over her shoulder. "Hurry up and come join me."

Estella scrambled to obey, hurrying after the matron. She silently helped the woman, only asking questions every now and then in between patients. None of the Veela victims seemed too talkative, though Estella was receiving glares from some of them. It wasn't until a few minutes later that she realised that two or three of the boys were the Durmstrang students that she had attacked with her bitemates.

" _Hisssusss_ doesn't like us," Icythan said in amusement, poking his head out of his mistress's sleeve.

"Do not show yourssself," Estella hissed, pulling her sleeve over the serpent's head. "You must remain undetected to mossst of these!"

" _Hisssusss_!" complained two or three of the other bitemates.

Estella did not say anything to the bitemates, wondering what made them so much more bloodthirsty now. She felt her mother's impression on her mind before the woman seemed to say, " _Your father wishes me to tell you that the bitemates become more hungry for food once they have tasted human flesh._ "

The girl winced slightly, hiding it enough that she was sure it wouldn't be visible to those around her. She knew only a few of the basilisks had been actually bitten victims the two times she had ever ordered them to attack. She would have to speak to her father directly about how to work with serpents that were learning to attack on command.

"We are not dangerous to you," Odessa said, offended, and Tishri interrupted her sister.

"It isss not that we are dangerousss," she said firmly. "Missstress doesss not know how to train usss. She mussst have our Master's counsssel."

"I wish to make each of you the bessst you can be," Estella murmured to them, looking down at the wounds Madam Pomfrey was currently dressing. "I need sssomeone with more knowledge to show me the way."

A second later, the young witch looked up at the sound of someone calling her name. She was surprised to see one of the Lestrange twins and walked over to him, realising it was Karntaan. "What happened to you?" she asked, marveling at his injuries. "Did you tangle with Nymphadora?"

Karnt sighed and sat up gingerly. "When I went back to the dormitories, someone had told Ro about me dancing with her," he muttered. "Seems he shared Draco's opinion, though he didn't appreciate my mentioning that."

"I'm sorry," Estella sighed as the bitemates hissed their sympathy for the Dark magic coursing through the young boy. "I—"

"Don't say anything," Karnt ordered her. "It was my decision, though that doesn't make me happy with Ro now, does it?" He frowned. "Do you think I should get even with him?"

"Not like this," Estella said. "Only if you have a subtle opportunity—you know this, Karnt. Did you fight in the Common Room?" she added curiously.

"No, in our room. Meris tried to stop us, but we both yelled at him to stay out of it." Karntaan laughed. "I don't think he knows what to do with us most of the time. It's like he tries to be our big brother. I already have one; I don't need two."

"Yes," Estella agreed with a sigh. "I know the feeling. Just remember that you're the only true Lestranges Meris knows, and he would probably like to keep you in one piece."

Karnt shook his head slightly, lying back against the pillows. "It's like I told Draco," he said stubbornly. "We need to have our fun now before the Dark Lord returns. And if Dora was okay with a dance, then so was I." He fell silent for a moment, then said, "Rita Skeeter is writing another article...I heard Draco and Rohan talking about it. I don't think your Gryffindor friends are going to like it at all."

Estella raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she asked curiously.

"I can't be the one to tell you," Karnt said, then chuckled. "May I be there when you Curse Draco?"

"If the timing works out," Estella grinned. "This sounds promising."

"Parkington!"

Estella looked up quickly, hearing the matron call for her, and nodded to Karntaan before hurrying to the witch. "I want you to be able to do the check-up rounds on your own by the end of the year," she said to her apprentice. "So I want you right with me so you can learn quickly."

The young witch bit her lip nervously and nodded obediently. She did her best to pay attention to all the small charms and spells that Madam Pomfrey so easily and naturally performed as she moved from patient to patient. She made some notes so that she could go back and study the different spells that were used.

Estella dragged herself back down to the Slytherin dungeons when she was sent away for the evening, absolutely exhausted. She was walking toward the girls' dorm when she heard her name spoken softly and looked around to find the silent portrait of Salazar Slytherin watching her. She was about to ask him what he wanted when Megan hurried up to her and said, "Lauren's looking for you—you looked exhausted, Stel. Quick: go upstairs and I'll make your excuses."

"Thanks," Estella said gratefully, scurrying away and up the stairs. She looked at her books and groaned, deciding to go straight to bed and deal with her homework the next day, but she had barely crawled into bed when she heard voices arguing outside their room.

"Leave her alone!" Megan was saying sharply. "She's tired and doesn't want to talk."

"Get out of the way," came Lauren's voice. "Really, Sage? Don't threaten me."

Estella sat up and waved her hand at the door, letting it bang open. "By all means, argue outside," she snapped at them. "What is it now?"

Lauren looked over Megan's head at her. "I just want to talk."

"That's what they all say," Estella muttered. "Well, come in. I won't be sleeping with you two yelling in the hall."

"Sssorry," Megan hissed before hurrying away down the hall and leaving Lauren to enter the room alone.

"I need to talk to you," Lauren sighed. "I didn't want to bother you, but I guess I have to."

"What do you want?" Estella frowned at the older girl.

The blonde witch conjured a chair and sat down next to the bed. "I wanted to ask you about Castella," she said, biting her lip. "I need to know some things."

Estella sat up in her bed, her bitemates slithering into her lap as she defensively asked, "Like what?"

"How did you even learn who she was?" Lauren whispered, the words seeming to give her pain. "She didn't tell you, I'm sure."

"The Chamber of Secrets," Estella said after considering her reply for a moment, "has a room that can recall anything that has happened at Hogwarts. One night, when I was too curious for my own good, I asked it to show me a scene with Dora and one of my brothers. At the end of that scene, she morphed herself and went down to the Slytherin Common Room and met Melvin. I watched them duel, watched them cuddle, and watched as she turned down his marriage offer. I don't know anything more about them than what I saw right then. I was too horror struck to continue investigating."

"Wait," Lauren said in shock. "Melvin actually asked her to marry him?"

"Yes," Estella answered with a sigh. "And she said no. She told him he deserved better—she had misled everyone into thinking she was pureblood, just like he had misled everyone into thinking _he_ was pureblood."

Lauren blinked, shaking her head as she struggled to accept the idea. "I don't understand," she groaned, burying her face in her hands. "They're just so different! How can they be the same?"

"I think Castella is the darkness inside Nymphadora Tonks," Estella said after a moment. "That was something she struggled to understand in herself at school. Dora needed to explore her powers, needed to find out who she was, even at her worst. School gave her the first opportunity."

"I don't know..." Lauren shook her head. "She didn't tell me all the things I needed to know before she disappeared—returned to herself, I guess."

"I could probably...arrange something, if you would like," Estella offered hesitantly, unsure how the blonde witch would react. "I have contact, as everyone knows."

"You...would do that?" Lauren asked slowly. "Can you do it without anyone finding out she's here?"

Estella grinned. "I think so," she said. "I'll just need a few days to work it out."

Lauren smiled gratefully and got to her feet. "Thank you, Estella. Sorry to bother you." She walked out of the room quietly, and Estella snuggled beneath her blankets with a yawn. She would have to figure out the details later.

* * *

"Estella?"

The black-haired witch jumped in shock and nearly fell against the wall by the sand rooms. "Father," she said, once she'd made sure she was still alive.

Meretta raised an eyebrow at her, walking up behind her husband. "What are you doing down here at this time of day?" she asked.

"I—I'm not myself," Estella sighed, grinning a little as her parents frowned. "Come along: I'll show you what's going on, because there's no way I could tell you." She led them along, her father staying at her side.

"Where are we going?" he asked her.

"Security Room," Estella replied with a small smirk. "We're going to see a little show tonight."

When the three were in the room, Estella lifted her face and spoke in Parseltongue. "Nymphadora Tonksss: right now."

Her father stared at her in apprehension, the room remaining dark for a few minutes until they blinked, suddenly seeming to be in the dungeons. There was a soft pop! of apparition, and Estella Parkington smirked as her twin seemed to appear in the Deep, grinning wickedly and beginning to walk up toward the Common Room.

"Who the hell is that?!" Meretta demanded, staring at her daughter.

"Castella," Estella answered. "Lauren asked me to arrange a meeting with her."

"As you?!" Meretta said, looking at her daughter in disbelief. "We've been over this!"

"This is different," Estella insisted. "She'll only pretend to be me for a moment until she's closeted away with Lauren. I figured it would be easier this way, as I can walk unhindered and unnoticed fairly easily."

Meretta sighed. "Estella, I don't like it. If she's caught—"

Reginald motioned them to watch, and Estella smiled as Dora seemingly ignored one of the Lestrange boys, walking right past him. "Estella?" he called after her, confused. "Where have you been?"

"Ask me no questions," Dora shot at him over her shoulder, "I tell you no lies. Mind your own business, Lestrange."

"Damn," Estella grinned, leaning into her dad's side as she watched Dora in amusement. "She's more sassy than I am."

"Doesn't she know you're friendly with the Lestranges?" Meretta asked.

"Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't tell them off if I was in the mood," the girl smirked. "The twins especially need to be told off once in a while anyway."

They walked Nymphadora make her way up into the Common Room, easily giving the password before slipping into the room. She glanced around the room quickly for the person she was supposed to meet, then walked across the room and up the stairs to the girls' dorm. Dora went straight to the sixth year girls' room and entered quietly without knocking.

The blonde witch immediately got to her feet from the bed, breathing, "Castella?"

"Lauren," Dora smiled, and morphed.

"It's too bad, about her mother," Reginald mused to his wife and daughter. "Nymphadora is a powerful young woman."

Lauren nodded politely. "Thank you for taking the time to see me," she said, making Estella smile.

Nymphadora nodded in return. "I suppose we have Estella to thank for making it possible," she murmured, "though I couldn't imagine what you would want from me _now_."

"We weren't ready for you to leave us, even though you disappeared after you graduated," Lauren murmured, looking into Dora's dark eyes. "At least, I wasn't. Did you really leave because of who you are?"

"I...had some things to deal with," Dora sighed, sinking down onto the bed as she didn't want to talk about it standing up. "The last week of school, I turned down a marriage proposal from Melvin, and we were both too heartbroken to even talk to each other anymore. I haven't spoken to him since that night."

"Why did you tell him no?" Lauren asked sympathetically. "He wasn't the right one?"

Dora bit her lip. "I thought he was a pureblood," she said very quietly. "I didn't want to be the witch that ruined his family, so I told him he deserved better. Maybe I loved him, but I don't know."

Lauren nodded, her face suddenly filled with compassion. "But he wasn't a pureblood either," she breathed. "Do you think—if he knew—?"

"I can't go back," Nymphadora shook her head. "I'm not the same person: we've both gone separate ways. He aspired to be a Death Eater, and while I pretended to as well, I know I could never be one of them."

Dora took a deep breath. "Anyway," she said, "I couldn't continue in pureblood society like I had been: it would have been much too difficult to hide my identity, and I didn't want to shame anyone. I played the part to know what the other side of me is, to know what I could have been." She looked down at her left hand, closing it into a fist. "I could have become an evil woman, but I chose not to," she murmured. "I don't know if it's what I should have done, but I don't belong, Lauren. I'm not one of you."

"You are!" Lauren burst out, immediately blushing and hoping that no one ever found out she'd said that. "You have just as much Black in you as Draco or the twins, but you act much more like your mother's House than they do!"

"Shh," Dora smirked. "My mother would have a heart attack if she heard you say that." She laughed slightly, then said, "Estella mentioned that there were some things you wanted to know from me?"

"Well, I have asked you most things I wanted to know," Lauren said slowly. "But I also want to know how to choose the next girl to be in power here…."

"It needs to be a mixture of someone powerful, and someone that can speak easily to most of the Slytherins," Dora answered. "I chose you, because most of the girls like you, and you're smart enough to lead them. I don't think I've seen anyone like you in the recent generation, but Megan Sage is a good idea, and Cherea Charleston would have been perfect if she'd been in Slytherin."

"Enough!" Estella said, and her parents blinked at each other, looking at her as the lights came back up. "I don't want to know what she thinks about us." She looked up at her mother and father. "I'll go back to the Common Room later tonight. We can't be caught."

"You could always stay here," Reginald shrugged. "I wouldn't mind."

Estella grinned as the bitemates all agreed with their Master's words. "Okay," she agreed. "I'll be here until morning, then." She hugged both her parents, then hurried from the room.

The bitemates immediately came alive, Icythan hissing, "See bitematesss!"

She laughed. "Okay," she agreed, and went to the sand room, finding the rest of her bitemates eager to see her. "Greetingsss," she said to them, leaning down to take all of them onto her body.

"Missstress, Missstress," they hissed excitedly, slithering over her robes as she rose and left the room.

She went to the room she always stayed in and curled up in the big comfortable chair, talking to her serpents as they basked in her warmth and magic. She loved to hear them talk to each other and her, and Teneski's voice seemed to come from far away: "Master offersss to teach Missstress about how bitematesss attack tomorrow."

Estella smiled, knowing her father still held the smallest bitemate. "That would be lovely," she replied, all the bitemates hissing in agreement. She would gladly stay in the Chamber all weekend if it meant that her father would teach her about their seventeen serpents.


	29. Perks of Being a Parkington

**This has again been a while in process, but I do have some ideas now that I shall be carrying out. :)**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

The dark-haired witch laughed in delight as she watched her father control the target her bitemates were after. "Now!" Reginald commanded, a grin on his face as Zisi struck the target easily. "Very good!"

The bitemates returned to the two Parselmouths, Estella and her father taking them up proudly. "You'll have to continue practising with them," the man said, wrapping his arm around her as they walked back toward the main room of the Chamber. "But they'll learn quickly. They are Tabashi's clutch, after all." He smirked with pride.

They were leaving the main room to go see Estella's mother when someone entered the room behind them. Estella jumped in shock, turning to see Megan there, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "You're going to be late, Ms Parkington," Megan grinned. "Oh, and you should see today's _Prophet_ : you're probably going to be upset. Just—don't hurt Draco too much."

"What's he done?" Estella asked darkly, but Megan shook her head and walked past her, heading to the two sand rooms.

"Well, she is right," Reginald nodded. "You are going to be late for class. I've kept you far too long."

Estella hugged her father tightly, then hurried through the passageways up into the rest of the castle. If she ran nearly the whole way, she could possibly make it on time…

 _Take the passage_. It was her mother's voice, advising her on what to do.

 _Thanks_ , Estella breathed, changing her direction and hurrying to take advantage of the shortcut. She tripped into her first class just as it began, sliding into a seat hurried and plopping her books onto the desk.

Stanley glanced at her, then scribbled something on a piece of parchment and slid it to her secretly. Estella looked down at the note and frowned.

 _Have you seen the_ Prophet _this morning_?

 _No_ , Estella wrote back. _Why?_

 _I'll show you after class_ , the boy answered, and smirked when Estella rolled her eyes at him in frustration.

* * *

The moment class was out, Estella followed him out of the room, receiving many suspicious glances from her classmates. She sidled up next to him as they walked toward the next class. "So," she said. "What is all this to-do about the _Daily Prophet_?"

"Here," Stanley sighed, digging through his bag until he found the paper and handed it to her. "It's that Skeeter woman again."

Estella sighed, scanning the paper until she found the questionable article: _Dumbledore's Giant Mistake_. She began to read the article, her expression darkening as she read further and further down.

 _"_ _An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority_ [as Care of Magical Creatures teacher] _to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to be 'very frightening'"_

"Ha," Estella smirked. The only person she knew had been harmed in one of Hagrid's classes was Draco Malfoy—she gasped in shock.

 _"_ _I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm," says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student. "We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too scared to say anything."_

She raised her head and looked at the Ackerman boy. "So this is why Megan asked me not to kill Draco," she hissed with a slight growl. She then giggled through her fury. "I'm gonna kill him."

Stanley shook his head. "He's just trying to upset Potter," he said. "Maybe get Hagrid sacked."

"Dumbledore won't stand for that," Estella said automatically. "That won't happen."

"We'll see," Stanley grinned. "In the meantime, be thankful we don't have Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins."

"Yeah," Estella agreed. "I can't wait til Herbiology: I really want to go out in the snow."

The boy nodded. "There's lots of time left, though," he told her. "And I heard from a prefect that there's a Hogsmeade holiday coming up."

Estella perked up, thrilled at the idea of getting out of Hogwarts for a few hours. "I can't wait," she said simply.

* * *

The Charleston twins found her later that evening in the Common Room and sat down on either side of her. "Have you seen it?" Brianna asked hesitantly, though her eyes were full of mischief.

"The article?" Samantha giggled.

"I'm ignoring it for a little while," Estella answered them, looking up from her Arithmancy homework with a sigh. "I don't want to think about it right now. I'm hoping things will just calm down."

"What are you talking about?" Samantha said, rolling her eyes. "It's brilliant!"

"Oh yes, because flobberworms have a deadly bite," Estella huffed, sitting up and frowning at her cousin. "And Malfoy's too stupid to keep himself from being quoted as saying his friend was bitten by one of them. The little blobs don't even bite!"

Brianna shrugged. "That really wasn't the point of the article, Stel."

Estella shook her head and looked back down at her homework. "I don't want to talk about it. And I have to get this done."

"You have a while til that's due," Samantha scolded, and Estella glared at her.

"Leave it alone," Brianna sighed. "Come on, Nan. It isn't as if we don't have things to do as well."

The twins walked away, and Estella gave a small sigh of relief. She didn't want to be bothered with Malfoy's drama.

* * *

At breakfast a few days later, Estella was pleased to have Meris Lestrange join her, separated from the rest by a few seats. "I'm impressed," he said, reaching for the pitcher of pumpkin juice.

She lowered her spoon and raised an eyebrow at him. "About what, Master Lestrange?"

The boy laughed softly. "Your self-control. You haven't even yelled at Draco. Everyone was sort of expecting that from you."

"Why?" Estella was confused. "He's an idiot, and I don't have to deal with him if I don't want to."

"I guess they thought you'd be furious about that article," Meris shrugged.

"I don't really care about Hagrid," Estella mused. "Though I am annoyed that he disappeared merely because of what Skeeter and Draco said about him." She set her spoon down and turned to look at Meris straight on. "You know, Draco should know better than to let himself be quoted as saying flobberworms bite. They _can't_ bite. If I were his mother or father, I'd be horribly embarrassed that everyone in our wizarding community can see his mistake. A five year old should know that flobberworms don't bite!"

Meris chuckled. "He's not the brightest cousin I've got," he admitted. "He might have done it in spite of knowing the truth."

Estella rolled her eyes and turned back to her oatmeal. "He's so stupid!" she groaned. "Why would you do something like that? It's meaningless!"

"Petty," Meris agreed. "But that's what he is, you know."

"What's that, cousin?" Karntaan and Rohan sat down on either side of the two, Rohan looking at the two inquiringly. "Who's what?"

"Draco's an idiot," Estella said simply. "What are you two doing?"

"Sitting here," Karnt shrugged. "We were wondering if you wanted to join us for a snowball fight."

Estella grinned wickedly. "Yeah!"

Her bitemates stirred uncomfortably. "Missstress, it isss cold," Icythan hissed. "Bitematesss do not do well in sssnow."

"You want to wait in my room while I am out?" Estella questioned them, receiving strange looks from the boys.

"Do they want to eat us?" Karnt mused, regarding the serpent looking at him from beneath Estella's collar.

"No, they're concerned about the snow," Estella answered. "I've got to take them to my room before we go outside: it'll be too cold for them."

Meris nodded, and Rohan said, "Fine. As long as it doesn't take too long."

Estella murmured a few words to her bitemates, then finished her oatmeal and stood. "I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall," she said, then hurried off toward the dungeons.

It didn't take her long to drop off the bitemates and make it back to meet the boys. The twins smirked, walking off through the doors and leaving her and Meris to catch up. This proved to be quite easy, as Karnt slipped in a patch of ice at the bottom of the stairs and fell into a snowdrift.

Estella giggled as she made her way down to him and offered the boy her hand. "Don't be a Tonks," she grinned, laughing at the indignant expression on his face.

She shrieked as he grasped her hand and pulled her down into the snow next to him, the two beginning to wrestle. Rohan rolled his eyes. "Seriously, you two? We need to get further away from the school. Especially if we happen to start using wands."

"Wands?" Estella grinned, trying to rub snow in the boy's face as he protested from beneath her.

"Ha!" Karnt shouted as he managed to throw Estella off balance and roll away from her. He jumped to his feet and ran away from the three of them, yelling, "Come and get me, Parkington!"

Estella got to her feet and ran after him, scooping up handfuls of snow and throwing them after him on the way. It didn't take long for the four of them to be in an all-out snowball fight.

Meris was soon wrestling in the snow with Karnt as Rohan and Estella circled each other, throwing snow and laughing at each other. In a single moment of distraction, Estella glanced to see Karntaan on top of his cousin, yelling something down at him as he threw a handful of snow in his face.

The next thing Estella knew, she was flat on her back in the snow, Rohan grinning wickedly at her as he pounced on top of her. "Ah!" she shrieked, raising her arms and trying to get him off. "No! Bad Lestrange!"

He just laughed and continued to try washing her face with the cold, icy snow. Every time he touched her with it, she fought him so hard that he couldn't hold her down. She drew a deep breath, then used all her strength to push him away and struggle to her feet. He was immediately up, ready to attack her again, but she reached for her wand. "Stay away, little brother," she warned him. "I'm not doing that again in a friendly way."

"I don't want to be friends," Rohan smirked, and ducked her snowball of retaliation.

They fought wildly until they were too cold and tired to be able to walk right. As they trudged back up to the castle, laughing, they wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders to help steady them all.

"There's an hour until noon," Karntaan shivered.

"You need to get warmed up," Estella frowned, pointing her wand at him and cleaning the snow off quickly. She dried his robes and performed a Warming Charm. "Though perhaps you should just go take a shower."

"Yes, Mum," he said before sticking his tongue out at her and running off again, fully energized once again.

"He never stops running, does he?" she said wearily. "What a kid."

The other two boys just laughed, walking with Estella down to the dungeons to clean up.

* * *

On the day of the Hogsmeade trip, Estella was surprised to see Meris in the group of students that was going to the village. "Meris?" she asked, approaching him carefully. "What are you doing? Are you going with us?"

"Yes," Meris said, a small smile on his face. "Since I turned thirteen in October, Mum signed my permission form after that. But I chose to go on this time. Do you want to go with me?"

"Sure," she said quickly, then felt her cheeks warm. "I mean, if you want me to," she added hastily.

Meris grinned a little and nodded. "Okay," he said.

The two walked side-by-side into the village of Hogsmeade, Estella hesitating which street to take. Meris carefully touched her arm, murmuring to her, "Let's go to The Three Broomsticks."

"Okay," Estella agreed, feeling herself a little too warm at his touch even though it was fairly cold outside. Her bitemates were all hissing teasingly about sharing magic, but she didn't dare tell them to be quiet in case Meris wanted to know what they were on about.

Meris insisted on paying for their drinks when they reached The Three Broomsticks, and she blushed furiously when he led her to a small table for two. She half wondered if anyone would want to join them, and then knew she didn't want anyone to join them.

She tried to keep a half-decent conversation going with the boy as she watched others enter the pub. She shrank back into her seat slightly when she saw the Golden Trio enter the room.

"Estella, is there something on your mind?" Meris asked her with a frown. "I swear you're ignoring me."

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I just can't concentrate on our conversation."

" _You horrible woman!_ "

Half the people there looked up as a small ruckus had begun near the door. Hermione was glaring at the Skeeter woman—Estella bit her lip. It would be very interesting if Hermione was the very next one to be attacked by an article in the _Prophet_.

Meris frowned at the disturbance, as did most everyone else, but soon Hermione had stomped out of the pub followed by Harry and Ron. "Shall we go somewhere else?" Meris asked her quietly.

Estella nodded with a sigh. "I'm sorry."

"Stel—it's okay," the boy reassured her. "We can just go back to the Common Room, but after we visit the sweet shop."

"Okay," she grinned in relief. "Thanks."

"No problem," he answered, and the two got to their feet and hurried out of the building and off through the snow. As they were walking along, Meris glanced at her and said softly, "I heard that you got to see your real father at the Yule Ball."

Estella frowned, looking at at the tracks that had already been made in the snow. "And if I did, Lestrange?"

Meris shook his head slightly. "I didn't mean anything by it," he murmured. "I just...I wish I could see my father that easily."

"Oh." Estella gave him a sympathetic look. "Well, I've been lucky when it comes to family, I suppose. At least, I have some idea of what it's supposed to be like."

"What's it like?" the boy asked.

"What's what like?" Estella repeated.

"Being in the Weasley family," Meris said, looking away in embarrassment. "Is it as nice as they portray?"

Estella regarded him for a moment, then shook her head. "No, Meris. I mean, most of the time Dad and all the boys except Ron are really great and nice to me. Mr Weasley is a good father, but he can't make up for what Ron and Molly do. He's a good listener though, and—well, I love him for raising me."

The boy agreed, holding the door open for her as they walked into the sweet shop. "You've met my mum, though," he said. "And she's the most wonderful female I've known, so far."

"Cissa's pretty great too," Estella answered with a grin. "And Corin's Mum, of course. They're very nice and helpful to me."

"That's good," Meris said simply. "To have someone to guide you. I would be completely lost if it weren't for my mother. I've never had anyone else to talk to about anything in our world."

"And as many people as I know," she confided to him, "None of them can really relate to my situation. No one else was adopted into a family of low-esteem Weasleys who don't live up to the purity of their blood."

"We should find somewhere else to discuss this," Meris said to her, nonchalantly selecting a few items and steering her toward the counter. "There's a place overlooking the village where we can talk."

She nodded and stood at his side as he made his purchases. They began to walk down the street, Meris quietly asking, "Would you have rather been raised by your real parents?"

"I—I don't know," Estella said haltingly. "I've only known life as a Weasley, really. I know I would love to have been trained from birth by my mother and father. I'm sure you wish you had your dad to train you as well."

` "I could be a powerful warrior, you know," Meris said with a smirk. "If I were trained properly."

"Same," she answered, returning his smirk. "We could work together, I think. Just like my mum and Bellatrix used to."

"Ha," Meris laughed. "I can't imagine us fighting together like that."

She scowled up at him, half offended. "And why not?"

Meris raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't know how to fight alongside a Parselmouth," he said with a grin.

"Well, the bitemates are my responsibility," Estella told him. "I look out for them, and they look out for each other and me. They and I are currently in attack training." She grinned at the boy mischievously and hissed for her bitemates to show themselves.

"Are you threatening me?" Meris said, seeming amused.

"No," Estella laughed. "They'd be hissing quite aggressively if they wanted to _sissshausss_ you."

The boy watched her and the basilisks for a moment, then motioned her to the fence at the end of the road. "It's beyond this, up those rocks," he told her. "A friend told me about it."

The bitemates slithered back into Estella's robes as she quickly scaled the fence, hurrying up the rocks after her friend. Meris gave her a hand up onto the top of the rocks, then led the way into the cave.

"Hey—!" he half yelled as a spell flew past his ear. "Estella, someone's—" He reached for his wand, and Estella yelled in anger as a spell struck the boy in the chest and he fell without a sound.

She dodged another spell, desperately running for the shadows. "Who are you?" she demanded as she tried to find a spot to hide, ducking under an angry-looking blue spell.

"Parkington," said the man, and Estella's blood ran cold: she knew his voice.

"No, I'm Parkington," she mocked him. "Why are you in a cave? Seems a bit...humble—even for a disowned Black."

The man laughed, half of his face in the shadows as he looked around for her carefully. "Well, I've got business at Hogwarts, and Snivellus might be unhappy if I merely showed up. Where are you, girl?

Her only answer was a jet of fire from her wand, a grin on her face as she realised he hadn't been able to avoid the entire spell. She yelped when he hissed in pain, throwing a spell into the shadows straight at her. Estella darted out of the way, realising only too late that she'd blown her cover. The man's spell hit the wall behind her, rock and dirt raining down, the two freezing for a moment.

"You can't attack me or the ceiling will collapse," Estella smirked at him.

"On the contrary, Ms Parkington," Sirius retorted with a harsh laugh. "The trick is the intent: I intend it to hurt you. There will be no other damage now." He flung a spell at the wall. "See? No damage."

"You are insane," Estella sighed, dodging out of the way of another spell. It did not take long before he had managed to hit her with a spell, her wand flying out of her hand as she fell to the floor of the cave. She rolled out of the way of more spells, getting to her knees with Meris' body behind her so that Sirius wouldn't hit him again. She dearly hoped the boy was okay. "Just let me leave and I won't bother you again," she sighed, scowling up at him.

"And your little friend?" Sirius scoffed. "Who is he?"

"Meris Lestrange," she answered haughtily. "The only child of Rabastan and Callistra Lestrange. He's a year below me. In fact, what did you do to him? He might need help."

"Oh, he'll need help," Sirius said in amusement. "I hit him straight in the chest. Thought he'd try to dodge or something, but he stood there waiting to be shot."

Estella bit her lip, glancing around at her friend before she decided Sirius wasn't going to try to hurt her immediately. She scooted across the floor toward Meris, delighted when she saw the boy's wand lying a few feet away.

Unfortunately, as she got closer, Sirius Summoned the wand easily. "Really?" she sighed, looking up at him.

"What?" he rolled his eyes at her. "I'm not letting you have another go at me. If there's one thing I've learned about Parkingtons from your mother, it's that you're not to be trusted."

"Aw, you and old Lucius agree on something," Estella cooed. "I just want to see if I can heal the boy." She looked up at the man. "I'm an apprenticed Healer."

"You are—no way." Sirius laughed in disbelief. "Parkingtons are not Healers. They are hunters and killers."

"We can be," Estella shrugged. "I don't think I look like much of one right now, do I? May I please have a wand so I can help Meris? Or will you help him?"

Sirius just gave her a cold look. "That's not worth the trouble. How do I know I can trust you?"

Estella glared at him from Meris' side, reaching down and feeling the magic on him with her hands. "I didn't betray you last time, _Snuffles_ , so why would I do it now?" she said sharply. "I could just jump from up here. There are enough rocks I can hide from you. Then I'll come back and find you, and murder you if anything's happened to Meris."

"There's that Parkington blood," Sirius chuckled. "What do you propose I do with you and your Lestrange friend?"

"Let me help him. I convince him to keep quiet, and you let the two of us go about our business," Estella answered, infuriated at the smirk on the man's face. "All three of us forget this meeting."

"And if I let only one of you go?" Sirius asked with a barely contain grin.

Estella thought about telling him to let Meris go, then glared back at him. "No. We're leaving together." She shrugged. "Or you can babysit both of us. Wouldn't you like that, Siri?"

He glared at her, and she sat up a little straighter at the look of madness that passed over his face. "Don't call me Siri," he growled at her.

"Heal him, or let me do it," she growled back at him. "I'm losing patience."

"Losing patience?" he said in disbelief, a crazed grin back on his features. "There's nothing you can do, girl."

"Nothing?" Estella hissed for her bitemates to ready their attack, all of them slithering to the outside of her robes. "One word, Black, and all of these will be after you. One word. Then I'll alert the Ministry and leave your unconscious body for the Dementors. I don't give a shit that you're innocent. You won't even be able to beg for mercy before you're lost to this world. I'll take care of Meris, and everyone will consider us heroes."

Sirius was motionless, staring at her, and she continued, "Or, you could give me a wand. I'll heal Meris and we'll leave you alone. No one will ever know that any of us were here. What do you think?"

It seemed a long time, but after only a minute or two, Sirius tossed Meris' wand to her. "Heal him and wake him up. I want him to promise his silence before he leaves."

Estella gripped the wand, not used to the feel of the wood, and bit her lip in concentration as she leaned over the young boy. She did her very best to remedy the curse on him, then breathed, " **Enervate**."

She stayed right at his side as he began to stir, one of her hands on his arm as she tried to make sure he was all right. "Stel," he mumbled, struggling slightly. His body shivered and his eyes suddenly flew open before he cringed at the sudden light. "Estella. Who attacked—ow…."

"We ran into Sirius Black," Estella answered him with a sigh, then jumped when he sat up.

"What the hell?!" he shouted, and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, her hands over his wrists as two of her bitemates slithered onto his shoulders.

"Please listen for a moment," she breathed into his ear. "He's camping out here, probably to advise Potter about the Tournament. He's going to let us go if we keep quiet. I promised we would, but he wants to hear it from you. I don't want to have to attack him and upset the Golden Trio. I've healed you from his curse as much as I could. Just tell him you'll keep quiet and we can head back to the school."

Meris looked up at the Azkaban escapee and scowled. "You piece of shit," he said to him.

Estella blinked. "Meris!"

"I won't tell anyone, but only because Estella wishes it," he said coldly, looking down as she pressed his wand into his hand. "Thanks," he murmured.

"My wand now, please," she said to Sirius.

He smirked and handed it over, Estella stalking back to Meris immediately. "Come on," she said, helping him to his feet. "I'll help you for a minute. I'm sure you're still a bit dizzy from that curse. Level Four, you know. A bit disorienting."

Sirius waved casually to them as they began to walk back down the bunch of rocks to the fence at the end of the road. "See you around," he said.

"Bye, Siri!" she called in a taunting voice. She had half expected a chuckle out of Meris, but she got nothing.

"Are you okay?" she asked her friend in concern. "Let's take you by the Hospital Wing as soon as we get back, okay?"

"Yeah," Meris muttered. "Whatever. I just feel so stupid for falling in one shot like that. You're not even hurt!"

"He disarmed me with hardly a try," Estella admitted. "I just stopped running and talked him into letting us go. Now hush: let's save some energy."

The two fell silent and continued to walk together, finally pulling apart as they entered the grounds. They had to pretend nothing was out of the ordinary to keep their promise. It was bound to get some awkward questions from Madam Pomfrey.


	30. What They Don't Tell You

**Is it too obvious that I love Meris? XD More of him to come as well. :)**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

Madam Pomfrey looked up from Meris to frown at Estella. "That was a strong curse. You did very well, Estella, though why you two had to be dueling at all is beyond me."

"I didn't mean to hurt him," she sighed, looking down at the boy.

"Sure you did," Meris retorted, and Estella grinned at him.

"At least I healed you," she said with a shrug. "I could have just left you there all crumpled up."

Meris just rolled his eyes at her and looked away. She sighed and sat down by his bed until the matron left them alone. "I am sorry about all this," she murmured to him, her hand over his. "I almost wish that we hadn't run into him like that."

The boy nodded. "I do wish that," he agreed. "But I'm glad you have a slight friendship with him. It helped us out."

"I can't stand him," Estella groaned. "The whole time I was trying to protect you, he was laughing at me. I wanted to hurt him. I told him that if something happened to you, I was going to come back and kill him."

"Ha!" Meris laughed. "Would you really?"

"If I could," she shrugged. "Maybe I'd have Mum help me. It could be a learning experience." She giggled to herself.

"So what do we do now?" Meris asked, frowning as he sat up gingerly.

"Pretend to forget," Estella said with a slow smirk, "and remember it all for next time. I have a score to even."

Meris raised an eyebrow. "You're thirteen. Do you really think you can get even with _him_?"

Estella shrugged. "I don't know. I wouldn't mind trying if the opportunity presented itself, though."

He shook his head, a small smile on his face. "You have unusual plans, Parkington."

"I'm just crazy," she grinned, then reached one hand to her waist to quiet one of her bitemates suggesting the two of them share magic. "Not now, Sebring," she told her.

" _Tsez_ is good to Missstress," Icythan mused, poking his head out of her sleeve.

"What's going on?" Meris asked her, looking from her sleeve to her collar. "They think it was funny?"

"I—I don't know," Estella admitted. "I was too busy trying to keep him from cursing you again, or from hurting me too much."

"Go to supper," the boy told her. "Go on. I'll see you later."

Estella gave him a last apologetic look, then walked away from him, sorry that there wasn't anything else she could do for him.

To Estella's surprise, she was soon approached by Malcolm Baddock in the Slytherin Common room one evening. "Do you have a minute or two to talk?" the boy asked her, joining her and the Charleston twins without greeting any of them.

"No," Samantha said crossly, her sister scowling at him.

"Perhaps," Estella answered, frowning at the twins. _He is a pureblood; what is their problem_?

He motioned her to follow him, and she followed him from the Common Room and down to the Deep. "You won't like this conversation," he said finally. "And I didn't want to be the one to do it, but…."

There was a moment of hesitation, and then a man stepped out of the shadows. Estella looked up at him for a moment, then swallowed hard as she realised whom she was facing. "Melvin," she breathed, her eyes suddenly narrowing at the man. "What do you want from me?"

"I heard the news about Castella," he said quietly, "and wanted to come talk to you. I was hoping to get back in contact with her."

"If you know who she is, you should know where she lives," Estella answered. "Or at least, be able to find out. I cannot tell you anything because I don't know if she wants to see you."

The man regarded her for a moment, then said, "Everyone knows that she and I were very close, Parkington. It's not wrong to help me find her. I just want to talk."

Estella drew herself up, glaring at him. "That's what they all say," she said sharply. "You two were just weird together anyway. I'll let her know you want to talk, and she can handle it her way. I assume she knows where you live."

"I had wanted to surprise her," Melvin said, a clouded look in his eyes. "Because if it's true that she doesn't want to talk, I want to hear it from her."

"I think she will talk to you," Estella shrugged. "I just don't feel like I can lead you to her or something like that. I'm sure you'll hear from her."

"I'll find her eventually, whatever happens," the man said, his eyes boring into hers. "She knows better than to avoid me." He turned and disapparated without another word.

Estella turned to find that Malcolm had left the passageway and she scowled, wondering if she should ask Dora to meet her right then. She shook her head after a moment, thinking better of it. If she ran into Dora later in the year, she would say something, but it didn't really concern her and she decided not to bother about it.

She returned to the Common Room to find that the Charleston girls had already gone to their dorm room. Estella followed them into the room and asked, "Did you both solve that problem you were working on?"

"Yes, no thank you," Samantha said in grumpy voice.

"What's wrong with you?" Estella asked sharply.

"Well, you never really talk to us anymore," Brianna pointed out before her twin could reply. "You're always running off to do something or being pulled away by someone no matter who it is. Malcolm Baddock, really?!"

Estella blinked. "Well, I don't mean for it to happen," she said. "It just does...I have a lot of things happening this year."

Samantha scowled. "Everyone does: we're at Hogwarts. It's just that you've been ignoring us since before Christmas, and been out with everyone else. You wouldn't know who you were if it weren't for us."

"That isn't true," Estella said firmly. "Tom and I discovered it together. I would have eventually figured it out, as neither of you were too keen on letting me know you already knew about my true heritage!"

Samantha sat up, reaching for her wand, but Estella turned and left the room, her magic crackling angrily. Her bitemates were surprisingly silent, though Icythan hissed softly, "The young one is jealousss of Missstress's new _tsez_."

"New?" Estella scoffed. "If she meansss Megan and the Lestranges, she can sssuffer. Megan isss a good teacher for what I mussst know about ssserpents, and the boysss are great _tsez_. Much fun." She laughed slightly at the thought of the Lestrange cousins. "I will go to the Chamber," she decided. "Leave these onesss alone for the night."

She was down the stairs and just entering the Common Room when a spell just missed her, flying past her ear. "Hey!" she yelled, whirling around and sending a small shock of wandless magic up the stairs toward her angry cousin.

Samantha did not stop, and Estella ran out into the Common Room, drawing her wand as she whirled to face the stairs. Several of the students in the room expressed their disapproval, but Estella did not hesitate to defend herself as spells shot out of the stairwell.

"Come out here and face me," Estella challenged Samantha. "If you think my being pulled aside by one person is enough to be angry about."

"You'd better not stay here tonight," Samantha growled back at her.

"I'll do as I please, Samantha Charleston," Estella snapped. "My choices are my own! Why is this a big deal to you? You're not the one living my life!"

The door of the Common Room opened as Samantha merely renewed her attack, and Alvin and Lauren entered the room, immediately pausing in concern. Estella saw someone motion Lauren to leave them alone as she shielded another hex, her bitemates hissing angrily.

Brianna looked out of the staircase cautiously, sighing as she walked out toward her sister carefully, her wand drawn in case she had to defend herself. She didn't even say a word until they had cast a spell over Samantha, bringing the girl to her knees.

"What is wrong with her?" Estella demanded, her eyes flashing angrily. "She went crazy over nothing!"

"She's overreacting," Brianna shrugged. "It's nothing."

"Nothing?" Estella glared at the twins. "Nothing, and she was trying to curse me?"

"Her mind is damaged, all right?" Brianna said sharply. "She experienced magical trauma very young, and she does this every once in a while. We have to just keep her under control with an _Imperio_ until she calms down."

"She just goes mental for no reason?" Estella said in disbelief.

Brianna bristled at this. "It is _not_ her fault! But there is nothing that can be done!"

Estella's eyes narrowed. "The next time she does something like this, I'm going to curse her stupid."

The other twin stood from her sister's side, glaring at Estella. She was about to speak when Estella felt someone at her side and looked to see Meris standing there, his dark eyes calmly looking into hers.

"We should go for a walk," he said quietly. "Bit stuffy in here, don't you think?"

She couldn't even speak for her anger as he took her arm and led her from the room, straight past Lauren. Meris did not say anything as they walked along through the castle, not even when Estella had gotten them perfectly lost and neither of them were quite sure when they were.

"I don't remember that door," Meris said, motioning to a door in a wall he'd sworn was bare the time before. "Shall we try it?"

Estella didn't answer, just opened the door, her wand in front of her. A small gasp escaped her and she entered the room, waiting until Meris had had a look around to turn to him with a gleam in her eye.

"Boulders?" Meris said, raising an eyebrow. "Why would there be a room full of boulders and old furniture and things?"

"Well, I _wanted_ something to destroy," the girl said darkly, and drew her wand, the boy watching as things began to explode around them. She was panting for breath when she was finished, turning back to Meris with a satisfied look on her face.

"Better?" he said softly, tilting his head slightly.

"Better," Estella answered with a small sigh, walking back to him. "Thanks for putting up with me."

"It was quite a show," Meris chuckled, surveying the wreckage. "Are you sure you're finished?"

Estella sighed again, then nodded. "But I'm not going back to the dormitory tonight," she said decisively. She looked up at him thoughtfully, then dramatically held out her hand to him. "Come with me."

Meris slowly reached out and took her hand, the witch half dragging him from the room. His face was slightly pink as she pulled him into a bathroom and shut the door behind them. "Estella," he said, a flush creeping into his face, "what are you doing?"

"Open," she hissed, watching as the entrance to the Chamber became visible. She glanced over at the Lestrange boy. "Join me in the Chamber?"

"If you're sure you don't mind," Meris murmured, his brow furrowed as he watched the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets.

Estella leaned down and tapped the pipe with her wand, smiling as the steps opened. "Follow me," she said, straightening up, and led him down the steps. The boy followed her, but slowly as he looked around at the passageways and all as they walked through.

"How do you not get confused down here?" he asked her, shaking his head with a small grin on his face. "I would never understand these passages."

"Well, I've had two years to learn the main corridors," Estella answered, eagerly leading him toward the sand room of her bitemates. "I'll learn the rest in time."

"So...you're staying down here tonight?" Meris asked as she opened the door.

"Yes," Estella answered firmly. "It is my safe place. No one can reach me here." She walked forward to meet her bitemates in the sand, kneeling and holding out her arms to them all, smiling proudly as they slithered over her lap. "Meris, they want to see you," she said, looking back at him. "Come sit with me."

Meris obeyed nervously, though he finally grinned at the girl. "Am I okay with them?" he asked her.

She nodded. "They've always liked you, I think," she told him. "They approve of you."

"Well that's good," Meris said in relief. "And these are all yours?"

"Mine and my father's," she murmured. "I alternate bitemates because I'm too small to carry them all at the same time, but I always have Icythan with me." She touched the serpent gently, then looked up at Meris. "Father has three bitemates so that I can communicate with him if I need to ask him something."

Icythan raised his head and regarded the boy for a moment before hissing, "I will sssee the boy."

Estella gave him her permission, moving her hand to the boy's knee so that Icythan could slither over to him. Meris seemed to shiver a little, but didn't move. After a moment, Icythan hissed, "He isss an acceptable non-ssspeaker to be Missstress's mate. Massster alssso approvesss, though he saysss the other young one mussst prove himssself worthy firssst."

"He isss only a friend!" Estella protested, trying not to blush and failing.

"Does he want us to share magic again?" Meris raised an eyebrow at her.

Estella blushed even more. "Something like that," she muttered.

The boy nodded thoughtfully. "Well," he said, "there is something about that you should know that my cousins probably wouldn't tell you. There is another way to share magic...one that won't get you so completely drugged with someone else's magic." He held out his hand to her. "If I may?"

"Okay," she said softly, and placed her hand in his.

To her surprise, he reached his other hand up to her shoulder and said, "You merely have to envelope the other person with your magic, like a cloud. I wouldn't go crazy about it like they tend to do: they're a little wild for my liking."

"I think you can be wild, if you had the opportunity," Estella told him, and he just grinned.

"I'm just going to let my magic touch yours," he said. "Just to trickle over you and let you feel it. Shared magic, but not shared magic."

Estella's mouth opened slightly in surprise when she felt his magic flow over her, warm and relaxing. "That...is nice," she said. "Not letting magic run wild, but making it have purpose...that's nice. Could you teach me to do that?"

Meris withdrew both hands from her and said, "Put your hand over mine, but don't touch." He held his hand out to her again. "Now let me taste your magic. Just a little."

With the boy's instruction and encouragement, Estella was able to carefully take his hand and slide closer to him as they let their magic play between them. Finally, he murmured, "Now you can take my hand, but just let the magic slide over your skin like a caress. Pretend your skin is a barrier and don't let it through."

His arm slid around her, his other hand taking her as he drew her closer, the two leaning into each other as they shared magic. They were silent and stayed close together for a little while until Estella distantly heard the boy say, "Stel?"

"Yeah?" she murmured to him, opening her eyes and looking up at his face.

He watched her for a moment, then chuckled. "You're so amusing," he said with a quiet grin as the witch's serpents slithered over them. "You seem so peaceful at the moment—I though you were falling asleep here."

Estella smiled. "I almost did," she said. "Your magic is warm and comfortable." Meris just laughed, keeping his arms around her. "Stay here with me tonight," she said, turning and leaning her head against his shoulder. "I'll show you where I usually sleep when I hide away here."

Meris agreed, and then helped her to her feet, all of them bitemates on them as they left the sand room and went to Estella's bedroom. The witch pulled over her outer robe and kicked off her shoes, crawling into the bed as Meris sat down beside her.

He finally lay down beside her, allowing the witch to slide right into his arms. She sighed sleepily, and he tugged the blanket up over them before allowing a little bit of magic to trickle over her once again to warm and relax her into sleep.

"Thank you," she mumbled, and he merely held her closer in response as she fell asleep.


	31. Tying Loose Ends

**Hey, I actually managed to get a decent length chapter for once. What do you know? Also, I've finally concluded that I have to sit in a rocking chair in order to make myself write, so here we are after two evenings. :)**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

Estella woke the next morning to the sound of her bitemates talking about whether they should wake her.

"He isss not a threat!" insisted Sebring, while another protested this.

"He isss watching her asss she sssleepsss," Zisi answered.

Tishri slithered out of the sheets and hissed, "Missstress trustsss him!"

Odessa barely stirred, saying, "She would not have allowed him to be here with her unlesss it wasss all right. Trussst Missstress."

"Icythan," another said, "we should wake Missstress!"

"She isss awake," Icythan hissed, sounding bored. "She wasss awakened by the bitematesss!"

"Missstress!" most of the bitemates hissed, slithering back to her and coiling around her body. "Missstress, the _tsez_ isss watching you!"

Estella allowed her eyes to flicker open, realising that Meris was sitting cross-legged on the bed, watching her. "Oh," she said. "I forgot I brought you down here. I suppose you feel locked up and you want to leave?"

Meris grinned, a little embarrassed. "Well, no," he said, "but I think your serpents were a bit upset with me for sitting here watching you."

"They are," Estella yawned. "They didn't know if you wanted to harm me or not, and they didn't know if I would like to be awakened or not."

"You're so innocent and peaceful asleep," Meris chuckled. "It's a change from you destroying boulders or screaming at your cousins."

"I don't always scream at my cousins," Estella pouted. "Only when they're being stupid—which is often, it seems."

"I almost miss you and Draco fighting," the boy laughed. "It's amusing to see a girl tell off the Malfoy heir. That Search and Curse battle we had—that was fun. Oh, and you do know Rohan and Karntaan had a little fight over Karnt's dancing with Nymphadora at the Yule Ball?"

Estella rolled her eyes. "Yes. And you tried to stop them, and they told you to stay out of it." She nodded. "I talked to Karntaan when he was in the Hospital Wing. They seem to be all right now, though."

Meris just smiled at her. "You hear a lot of things there, I'm sure."

"Oh, yes," Estella agreed. "Injured students plotting revenge, horror stories about Potions with Snape, and all sorts of misplaced and misdirected spells. It's amazing how much gossip you can pick up there, as well. Especially when friends visit the injured ones."

"Right," Meris said, scooting over to stand up from the bed. "If you're fully awake, shall we go? Breakfast is in fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen min—we have time, Meris," Estella sighed, flopping back onto the pillows and closing her eyes.

"Time?" Meris said indignantly. "I almost always go to breakfast so that I have energy for morning classes. If I fall asleep in Charms because I was kidnapped, you can take the blame—"

" _Kidnapped_?!" Estella yelped in disbelief, sitting up straight and staring at his face. "I did not kidnap—you agreed to come down here!"

Meris frowned. "And you merely asked me to spend the night with you, not stay the entire morning. The twins are already going to be asking me where I was, and I don't relish explaining this to them."

Estella snorted. "It's none of their business, just like Nymphie was none of your business."

"Can't you let me out remotely?" Meris sighed.

"You couldn't find the exit without me," Estella smirked.

Meris leaned closer to her, whispering, "I need you to help me. Is that so much to ask?"

She pouted at him, then hissed, "Come to me, bitematesss. I mussst take the unhappy non-ssspeaker back to the sssurface."

" _Tsez_ knows Missstress isss dissspleased," Odessa said softly, slithering around Meris' arm and settling around his chest. "He doesss not want Missstress to be upset."

" _Tsez_ doesss not know our waysss," another of the bitemates added. "Though if he cannot trussst Missstress, he should not be here with usss."

Estella just sighed at the burden of it all and threw back the blanket, getting out of the bed. With a shiver, she shrugged on her outer robe and slipped her shoes back on. "Come on," she said to him, walking toward the door as she dragged her fingers through her hair. "You should be able to make it to your beloved breakfast."

Meris didn't speak as they walked along at first, though he finally spoke up, "Stel, I didn't mean to upset you."

She merely glanced at him before continuing to stalk forward toward the exit to the Chamber. "Next time you plan to be somewhere when I've kidnapped you, Lestrange, let me know."

"Hey!" Meris protested. "I mean it! It's just a routine for me, and I didn't want to mess it up!"

She did not turn to him, still severely annoyed with the boy as she had nearly reached the entrance. He frowned at her ignoring him and hurried up behind her, grasping her arm. "Stel," he began, then yelled out in pain, jumping away from her. "What was that for?" he shouted at her angrily.

"Keep your hands off me!" she yelled back at him, her bitemates slithering out of her robes and hissing a challenge.

"You Cursed me!" he said, half in shock and half in anger.

"You grabbed me!" she retorted, glaring at him as she prepared to draw her wand if she needed. "And don't be proud of it: you aren't the first."

"That's grabbed you, or that you've Cursed?" Meris snapped.

Estella stopped herself from laughing at his remark and answered, "I think you should get away from me as soon as possible, Meris. Before it happens again."

He stood there and stared at her until she turned away from him and stalked the last few yards to the exit, hissing it open with the most awful sound. "Go," she said coldly.

"Estella," he said, turning to her, "please don't be upset. I didn't mean to insult you with what I said."

"You've upset me no more than Samantha did," she said sharply. "Now _go away_."

"Fine," Meris snapped at her. "Next time you get yourself in a situation, I'll let you get Cursed in the middle of the Common Room!"

"And next time we run into that DOG I'll let him murder you!" Estella yelled back. "I should have left you there!" She shrieked in shock in the next second as something awfully cold and wet flew straight through her. "Myrtle!" she screeched, backing away from the ghost in fury.

The ghostly girl merely smiled slyly at her, a foot off the ground. "You're being awfully loud, if you wanted to be alone together," she smirked at the two. "Don't fight...friends are few and far between, you know."

"I'll take my chances," Estella muttered.

"Don't play like that," Myrtle sighed, darting down to float in front of the doorway. "I've seen lots of heartbreak since I died. It isn't even time for breakfast, and here you two are already angry." She sighed, drifting along toward Meris, who stepped back to avoid her.

"Don't run away," she said to him with a little giggle. "I'm experienced in chasing students. Now. I'm sure you had a little problem, but you shouldn't be screaming at each other like that."

"Myrtle, you're not helping," Estella hissed at her. "Go hide in your toilet or something! Go out to the lake, but leave us alone!"

Moaning Myrtle shook her head, ghostly braids swinging from side to side. "You don't mean what you were saying to each other," she told them. "And your serpents know it too. You just...got up on the wrong side of bed this morning...like I did fifty years ago…."

Meris had drawn his wand and was glaring at the ghost that blocked the doorway. "I think you should get out of the way before I Curse you," he said. "I know a jinx or two that will work on ghosts."

"Don't threaten Myrtle," the girl pouted. "That isn't _nice_."

"I'm a Lestrange," Meris huffed at her. "Do you think I care?"

"No," Myrtle said after a minute or two. "I remember your father and his brother, I think. Your uncle and aunt used to sneak in here, back in their school days. Of course, I always gave them privacy...mostly because she didn't like me staring at him…."

The ghost girl sighed dreamily, and Estella raised an eyebrow in disbelief before beginning to giggle at Myrtle's words. "Look, Myrtle," Estella sighed, "I promise we won't scream at each other anymore if you'll leave us alone now."

"Fine," Myrtle said, and floated away through the wall with a last dreamy sigh.

"She haunts this bathroom?" Meris asked Estella tentatively after a moment.

"Yeah," Estella sighed. "She died here, back when the giant basilisk lived in the Chamber. Look: do you mind if I go to breakfast with you?"

"No, I'm mean, that's fine," Meris said awkwardly, the two falling into step as they walked toward the Great Hall. "I can't believe she remembers Rodolphus and Bellatrix."

Estella giggled again. "From what she was saying, I think they'd be pretty difficult to forget."

Meris nodded, and didn't speak again for a few minutes until the two were about to enter the Great Hall together. "So...can we forget about our disagreement this morning?" he asked her. "I won't say something like that again."

"Sure," Estella muttered. "Sorry about that. I would never kidnap anyone and hold them in the Chamber of my own will, you understand."

"Of...course," Meris frowned, giving her a calculating look. "Anyway, we only have a few minutes, so come on."

"Estella!"

The dark-haired witch held back a groan and turned to see Pansy with a bunch of her giggling friends standing near the grand staircase. "Yes?" she said shortly, turning toward them.

"There's a new article," Pansy said innocently, holding out the paper to her.

"Great," Estella sighed. "I suppose it's completely false?" She took the paper and looked down at the article. Nearly five minutes later she looked up, straight into Pansy's face and said, "Hermione isn't ugly: she's beautiful. And she can brew any potion, provided she has the instructions and ingredients. She would never use love potions: I doubt she would need them."

Meris raised an eyebrow, and Estella shook her head, a small grin appearing on her face. "Can I keep this?" she asked Pansy.

Estella walked away from the girls, Meris at her side, and the two proceeded into the Great Hall, finding their seats at the Slytherin House table. "What's the _Prophet_ say?" Meris asked her.

"It...claims that Hermione is trying to break Harry Potter's heart," Estella said as she reached for a serving spoon. She nudged the paper over to her friend. "It's ridiculous."

"That's just..." Meris shook his head as he finished reading moments later. "It isn't as if she's anything important, you know."

"Well, Rita Skeeter's just trying to get even with Hermione for yelling at her in the Three Broomsticks like she did," Estella said sensibly. "But you do know that if we're talking about beauty, brains, and blood, Hermione has two of the three."

"And you have all three," Meris shrugged. "Seriously, if you look at the facts, Rita's just telling a bunch of lies."

Estella barely registered his compliment, though she nodded in agreement to the last part. "Pansy needs to stop being so petty," she said. "Anyone who knows Hermione in the slightest would know she doesn't 'trifle with affections.' Honestly, she doesn't even like Viktor. She's just trying to make Ron jealous."

Meris gave her a strange look. "You wouldn't call that trifling, Ms Parkington?"

"Well, I suppose," Estella rolled her eyes. "But Hermione does sort of like Viktor, but...well, Ron's not the brightest sort of person. I think Hermione's trying to get his attention."

"What does she see in him?" Meris said in disgust.

Estella burst out laughing, drawing attention from every House table. "Anyone's guess," she giggled after a moment.

Meris smirked thoughtfully. "Perhaps she's always dreamed of having a litter of red-haired brats," he chuckled.

Estella laughed again, setting down her fork and picking up her napkin to cover her mouth. "At least she'll be prepared," she sniggered, setting the napkin aside after a moment. "Look: I've really got to go, or _I'll_ be late to class. I'll talk to you later."

"Wait," Meris said quickly, "I've got some of your serpents."

She paused. "I'll retrieve them later. I'm not doing it in the middle of the Great Hall. Thanks!" She got to her feet and hurried from the hall with her bag over her shoulder.

"Missstress," the four bitemates hissed in amusement, "the non-speaker does not know what to do with us."

"He will be fine," Estella smirked. "Ssstay out of sssight and quiet ssso that _tsez_ hasss no worriesss."

"Yesss, Missstress," they answered, and as Estella hurried off to her class, she sensed hesitation and concern from them.

She nearly said something to them, but Odessa, who had taken her place on the boy's left arm, hissed, "It isss not usss Missstress isss sensing. _Tsez_ ssstill worriesss."

Estella was amazed. "I can know what he'sss feeling because he'sss holding you?" she asked them in surprise.

"That, and because Missstress shared magic with the _tsez_ ," Icythan answered her. "The bitematesss shared in the magic asss well. Holdersss of the bitematesss mussst be careful, for Missstress can know all thingsss about them."

"Then why don't I feel anything from Father?" Estella mused, opening the door to the Ancient Runes classroom. "Isss it because of the shared magic?"

"Well, Essstella," came her father's voice from far away, though it grew stronger as Estella's mind focused on it, "that's part of the reason. Because the bitemates were basking in the shared magic of you and the young Lestrange, the connection will be stronger between you and him. Those serpents carry your magic, and will make shared spells possible for him because of them. With magic shared between all of you, the bitemates can convey his emotions and feelings more easily."

Estella frowned. "But why don't I feel anything from you?

Reginald Parkington chuckled. "Occlumency, sssweetling. But the bond is nearly as strong because I am bonded to these bitemates, though we have not shared magic. He does not know he needs to guard himself against the bitemates." He paused a moment, then said, "It is possible to use Legilimency on a holder of the bitemates through the bond, but it is very tricky."

"Oh." Estella shook her head slightly, pulling her Ancient Runes book toward her and opening it to the correct page.

"Speaking of bonds," Reginald said thoughtfully, "I believe you only did pre-bonding. You need to seal those bonds. Safely."

"Yeah," Estella smirked. "I need to come chat with you about all things bitemates."

"After the Second Task," her father suggested. "Just so there's less to distract us."

The girl agreed. "When you have time to oversee it," she told him.

The man agreed, and Estella felt him close himself off from the bond. The bitemates immediately began toclamor about Meris once again, and Estella sighed. It was going to be a long class.

* * *

Meris caught up with her that evening in the Common Room and sat down beside her. "Take them back now?" he murmured. "I've got no idea what they're talking about, and they keep hissing, whether at me or others."

"The non-speaker isss amusing," the four bitemates reported to Estella. "Nervousss child, the young ssstrange one."

"Okay," Estella told Meris, reaching out and grasping his hands so that the bitemates could return to her. "Come to me, bitematesss."

"I wouldn't be half as uncomfortable with them if I had you there to translate," Meris sighed, watching the four serpents slither into their mistress's robes. "They're rather interesting."

Estella smiled at him. "I might be able to sort of link our minds so that I can translate to you what they say," she told him, wincing as she immediately felt her mother's angry disapproval.

 _Leave me alone_! she thought angrily at the witch, forcefully imagining her locking her mother out of her mind.

Meris smiled slightly, though he noticed the troubled look on her face and said, "Not today, I think."

"Mother disapproves," Estella muttered. "She's the reason I have this ability: she has it too."

"She links minds?" Meris questioned curiously, and Estella held up her hands.

"I don't know," she said. "I don't understand much about it. I guess...I should probably ask her, although I don't know how willing she'll be to help now…."

"If it causes problems within your family, it's probably not a good idea," Meris told her ruefully.

Estella's expression hardened. "She handed me over to the Weasleys _herself_ ," she said with an undertone of anger. "She has no say in what I do since she cares so little about me, her own daughter."

Meris was taken aback, though he murmured, "Don't be mad at me, Estella, but I'm sure she did not want to do that, for whatever reason it occurred. You are here now, and you know who you are, and you are learning the ways of your family, both of your mother and father. I am sure you will make a fine witch, no matter your upbringing."

She looked up at him, and he gave her an encouraging nod. She gave him a small, grateful look which he returned before getting to his feet and going over to play Exploding Snap with his cousins.

Estella watched him for a few moments longer, the boy talking and laughing with Karntaan and Rohan. Meris did infuriate her sometimes, but he was a nice boy, she thought. He had made her feel much better, especially after her stressful day as a Healer's apprentice.

"Do you and Mum have time for me tomorrow?" Estella asked her father through the bitemates.

"We will," Reginald answered almost immediately. "Time for your mother to work with you on your abilities before we finalize some of those bonds. You are the main holder of the bitemates, you know. They are yours."

"Yes, Father," Estella murmured, hit with a strong feeling of responsibility. "I'm counting on you to help me be what I need to be."

"You are doing well, sssweetling," he said, and Estella ducked her head, blinking a few times as she refused to cry in the Slytherin Common Room.

"Thanksss," she whispered, then got to her feet and went to her room in order to get more comfortable to do her homework.

* * *

The next evening, Estella made her way down to the Chamber to see her parents. Her father met her near the entrance, turning and leading her further into the Chamber.

"Where's Mum?" Estella asked, wondering whether the woman would help her understand something more of the powers of her mind.

"I don't know if she'll be joining us," Reginald told her. "Let's go to the sand room, if you don't mind."

"Oh," Estella said with a frown. "Is she okay? Is she ill?"

Reginald sighed softly, slipping his arm around his daughter and drawing her into his side. "Essstella," he said quietly in Parseltongue, "she heard you declare that you will not listen to her because you believe we abandoned you."

She bit her lip, then looked up at him. "I mean, she just gave me to the Weasleys," she murmured. "It doesn't seem very nice."

The man agreed with the last part of her words, then led her into the first sand room. As they sat down with the bitemates, he said, "Before we begin the rest of the bonding, let me explain your past to you."

He hissed several bitemates into his lap, gently fondling them as he began the story. "The Dark Lord fell when you were only months old. We were betrayed by Igor Karkaroff soon after the fall of the Dark Lord, and we had to run from the house. Your mother knew you'd be taken and placed in an orphanage—we both knew, and that's why she placed those Mother's Protection Curse Wards over you."

"That's another story," he mused, shaking his head with a small grin. "Oh, Estella. Tabashi's first clutch all knew your magic, even before you were born, though they did not survive the attacks of Aurors for the next couple years. They were all gone before you were taken."

"What's it like?" Estella wondered, looking into her father's eyes.

"Losing a bitemate?" Reginald said darkly, all the serpents hissing, "Pain! Sssuffering!" The man sighed, shaking his head slightly. "It is having a part of you ripped away, a void, aching, hurting—for each of their deaths. I cannot save you from this pain, for it is the price of bonding with them as we do."

"Oh," Estella breathed, realising and feeling some of the loss her father still felt. "Dad—"

He looked at her compassionately. "I will help you—you're not alone as I was. Your brother will join the bonds when they're old enough, if they are willing."

She reached out and clasped his hand. "So I was taken to the orphanage?"

"Yes," Reginald nodded. "Near the end of November 1981. It didn't take long for us to be betrayed. We often visited you, though, especially the first year you were there. Your mother went more often then me, posing as one of the matrons at the orphanage, and she was able to talk to you and teach you some things."

"I remember you finding me and Mum at the orphanage and telling her that it wasn't safe for you to be in Britain anymore," Estella said thoughtfully. "She didn't want to leave."

"She didn't want to leave you," Reginald sighed. "And I didn't want to leave you either, but just days previously, Aurors had done a raid on Anthony Sage's home and I'd been chased for some time before I was finally able to lose them and return to you and your mother. They were getting too close: they knew all of our familiar places, and everything would have been lost had we been captured."

"I knew things," Estella said, her eyes lighting up. "You taught me my first Parseltongue, and I knew I was supposed to say, ' _Sissshausss hisssusss_ ' whenever someone said 'Mudblood.'"

Reginald laughed. "That's right, I forgot I taught you to do that. I hope I taught you that you're a very special girl because you can speak Parseltongue."

"Because I'm your daughter," she smirked at him. "You both also taught me to be proud of you and Mum for being Death Eaters. The older Weasley boys have told me that I used to always claim you and Mum as 'powerful followers of the Dark Lord.'"

The man laughed again. "She taught you a lot in the last few months she had with you," he said in amusement. "She even told you the basics of the Unforgivables and taught you some curses you could do wandlessly."

Estella nodded. "I made good use of her teachings," she said. "She only had until I was a little older than two."

"Yes," Reginald sighed. "And this is the part that I've only understood just recently. We were supposed to leave Britain, to get you adopted into a pureblood family that we approved, but I didn't realise how much your mother wanted to stay close to you. The day she came to the orphanage and packed your things to leave, she had meant to take you with us when we left the country. But when she was discovered by the matron and both Weasleys, she had no choice but to play along and hand you over, or she would have been captured by the Ministry. I didn't know what was happening until she came back to me, Estella. Your mother was hysterical, and I'm sure it was just as bad for you. She wasn't supposed to come back for you like she did, but it would have made no difference."

"She wanted to take me with you and her on the run?" Estella breathed. "That's really dangerous! I was only two!"

"She loves you!" Reginald said sharply, and Estella jumped, but he did not apologise. "I didn't understand—I didn't listen to her, Estella, and it hurt her deeply to know that she'd lost you to another family. She wanted to stay with you until you were a little older, then steal you away so you could stay with us. I was the one that thought it was ridiculous to keep our own daughter on the run with us." The man looked down at their clasped hands. "I wanted your mother and me to survive so that we could return to you when everything had calmed. It wasn't your mother's fault, Estella. Her main objective was to save you from the Weasleys, not to hand you over to them. She feels like she failed you, and it hurts her deeply. We can't really blame you, but you've only confirmed the hurt she feels."

"So I was just promised to the Weasleys?" Estella asked, wincing as she felt her father's sorrow and disappointment. "How, if I was never supposed to be adopted?"

Reginald looked up at her, unsure how to reply. "He chose you," her father said finally. "He and his wife came to the orphanage to see about adopting a little girl, and he saw you with one of the other matrons. I don't know where his wife was when he saw you and inquired about you, but some of the higher-ranking matrons realised that you weren't on the list and told him that you were also in need of a family. Meretta learned from some of the others that when they told him you were available that he immediately said he wanted you for his little girl."

Estella's mouth opened slightly as she stared at her father, and he looked away, unable to bear it. "He loves me," she whispered. "He did from the beginning."

"Yes," Reginald breathed. "Though no more than your mother and I do."

"No, no," she sniffed, scooting over to wrap her arms around him and leaning into his side. "There's no replacement for a real mother and father. I love you...and Mum."

"Don't quote me on this," he warned her, "but Arthur Weasley is a good man, even though his ideas about Muggles are completely irrational."

"Yes," Estella giggled through her slight emotion.

The man sighed. "We didn't end up leaving the country because your mother had such a fit of hysteria that I couldn't make her leave. I swear we didn't sleep more than two hours a night for weeks straight, though."

Estella nodded sympathetically and asked, "But then she had my brothers...wasn't she happier after that?"

Reginald froze. "Oh," he said after a minute. "I forgot you knew about them. Well...she sort of tricked me into us having more children. I still thought it was a very bad idea to take children on the run, but it was _extremely_ difficult to stay on the run and safe while Meretta was pregnant. We had to find a completely new area to ward and hide in when she was too far along to move around much. It was so dangerous, Estella. I was always terrified that I would lose her, but I did my best to keep her safe in spite of my initial disappointment that she'd brought more difficulties upon us. I'm not sorry we had more children, and it helped her a bit. It gave her motivation to keep fighting—not that she ever doubted. I'm the doubter."

"So did you take the boys to the same orphanage?" Estella said curiously.

"I couldn't," Reginald sighed. "Estella...they're in a Muggle orphanage. And we have Imperius Curses set over the matrons to keep the boys safe. We only had a couple days with each of the boys before I took them to the orphanage. We knew they would be safe, and that they would eventually go to Hogwarts where we could reach them easily enough."

"But they're nearly old enough to begin Hogwarts now, aren't they?" Estella asked curiously.

"Shaul will be starting school next year," the man nodded, then sighed. "It's sad, Stel—I don't really remember the faces of my own sons."

"It will all be over eventually," Estella said firmly. "Our family will be reunited."

"In death, or at the side of the Dark Lord," came a woman's voice.

Both Parselmouths looked up to see Meretta standing before them. "In answer to your question," Meretta said to her daughter, looking down at the girl, "I wanted more children because I was bored, and because I was supposed to give your father an heir, and because I wanted a child to raise properly—not that giving away your children to an orphanage is the right way at all."

Estella swallowed hard and sat up straight. "Of course, Mum."

"You seem to think I don't care about anything," the older witch frowned at her daughter. "But perhaps one day you will understand why I've done the things I have."

"I—I didn't know you'd tried to take me with you," Estella murmured, looking up at her mother. "I didn't understand—I'm sorry."

"You speak without thinking," Meretta agreed, sitting across from her husband and daughter as Levir and Lises approached and slithered up her arms.

"I wasn't even talking to you!" Estella protested. "I was talking to Meris! I trust him!"

"But should you trust him?" Meretta asked, raising an eyebrow. "No one knows him, or his mother, for that matter. I've never been one to trust in Rabastan Lestrange's judgment."

Estella giggled. "Well, I met her a couple years ago, and she seems decent enough," she said.

Meretta smirked. "No matter. I expect you to judge us harshly because of what you've been taught in our absence," she said. "But you need to internalize your feelings and thoughts about us and not let others know that we have some...problems."

Estella nodded, biting her lip as she subconsciously leaned closer to her father. "Okay."

The witch paused for a moment, then said, "I was listening to you talk."

The other two nodded, both having expected it of her. Estella looked at her in trepidation, concerned about her mother's reactions. "Go on," Reginald said to his wife quietly.

"What happened when you went home with the Weasleys?" Meretta asked, her eyes burning in a sort of worry and sorrow.

"I stayed with Mr. Weasley," Estella murmured. "Because I knew he cared at least a little—much more than Molly. He introduced me to each of the boys, and I liked the older ones well enough. I hated Ron from the beginning. But then I curled up on my second father's lap to take a nap." Estella shook her head, lowering her gaze as she stroked her bitemates to gain a little reassurance. "I was whimpering for you as I fell asleep...I had screamed all the way to the Burrow. Percy thought I was asking for Molly, and he had such a shocked look when his dad corrected him. Mr Weasley was the only person I could trust and run to when I needed comfort; I found that out the first day...he called me sweetling when I was screaming and crying hysterically, and I just knew I could trust him."

"He knew who I was," Meretta said in almost a whisper. "He knew, and he didn't betray me."

"He did?" Estella said in confusion as her dad looked between the two witches in surprise.

"He did?"

Meretta nodded weakly. "You were screaming and crying for me not to leave, and—you called me your mother, in spite of me telling you not to," she whispered. "There's no way he didn't know. But he didn't tell anyone, and he's treated you well, as far as I know. That's the only blessing in this whole mess."

Estella nodded, reaching out to her mother and tugging her closer so she had a parent on either side of her. "I remember you visiting me at the Burrow after I lost my memories," she murmured. "You put that warning to the Weasleys there once you realised that something had happened. Arthur took it very seriously, as he was the one who found it. He's done as good as he could, but Molly makes things difficult for him."

"He chose her, too," Reginald scoffed, and Estella frowned.

"I mean, she's what I expect a Weasley mum to be," Estella shrugged. "But I'd hate to put up with her day in and day out like Da—Arthur does."

Reginald glanced at her, then said, "I don't mind if you honour him with the title of Dad, Estella. He halfway deserves it—he's been what I couldn't be."

Estella nodded, glancing at her mother. "There's no other you, though."

"I'm sure," Meretta mused, then looked down at the two serpents content on her arms. "Tell us...how did you lose your memories of us?"

The girl looked between her parents, then reached out and took their hands. "I was angry, and Cursed the youngest Weasley," she shivered, and within seconds, both her parents were viewing her memory of Molly's anger and of her trip to St. Mungo's. She wiped away tears as she saw herself succumb to the potions and spells, fading into Ginny Weasley.

"He should have talked to you instead and let Molly take her brat to get checked," Meretta hissed in fury. "He didn't say a _word_ when she hit you!"

"He was in shock," Estella sniffed, dashing away her tears. "Even I was. I didn't know what the full effect would be if I did it on a human."

Meretta gave a small harsh laugh and said, "He should have stopped her."

Reginald shook his head slightly, both he and his wife reaching to embrace their daughter at the same time, wrapping her between them. "None of it should have happened," he murmured as he kissed his daughter's head.

"I'm sorry," Meretta whispered at the same time, her eyes closed as she hugged the girl. "I shouldn't have let you go."

"It's okay, Mum, I understand now," Estella answered, but Meretta only hugged her more tightly.

"It's not okay," she whispered, suddenly releasing her daughter and getting to her feet. "I'll teach you another day." She left the room quickly, lifting her hand to her face.

Estella looked at her father, stricken, but he gently stroked her hair out of her face and said, "She loves you, but it still hurts her to think of what might have happened if she'd dared to stay."

The girl clung to her father, snuggling against his chest. "I love her, even if I have a hard time understanding her sometimes," she sighed. "She's beautiful, and powerful, and I do want to be like her."

Reginald gave a small laugh, sounding choked up. "Even if it means taking the Mark?"

She drew a steadying breath, then said, "Well, I'm the primary Serpent Keeper now, so I have to do it, don't I?"

Her father drew back from her, looking straight into her eyes. "I can't discourage you," he breathed, "for it is a noble cause—but you are my daughter, and I want you to be safe."

"Then I will fight by you and Mum," Estella answered quietly. "Train me to stand strong, and to know how to fight."

"I couldn't bear to lose you again," he murmured, squeezing her hand. "You've only just rediscovered yourself, and come back to us. There is danger all around when you're one of us, Estella."

She nodded, looking straight into his eyes. "Teach me," she whispered. "Like you have been. I want to be a warrior, like you and Mum."

Reginald nodded once. "You must be able to fight, regardless of what you choose. I will teach you everything. But for now, the bonds. _Bitematesss_!"

The serpents all grew attentive, raising their heads and slithering out of sleeves and collars to look at him. "Massster," they answered as one.

"Your missstress wishesss to finish the bondsss," he hissed, speaking to them as he would a dear friend. "You know who among yourselves has not bonded, and have the least connection. Choose in what order you will bond."

The bitemates chattered for a moment, Reginald listening and watching them as Estella looked on half nervously. "We almost killed Missstress lassst time," Odessa reminded the bitemates.

Reginald chuckled. "Yes, you did," he said. "Though I will be here the entire time, and I will make sure that she does not get too much venom."

"Permission to begin?" they hissed excitedly, and Reginald turned to Estella.

"Begin," she hissed.

Fangs sank into her right wrist and the back of her neck at the same time, the witch gasping before she closed her eyes as her father said, "Drink it in, Estella. Become one with the bitematesss."

She felt another bite her side and gasped, jumping slightly as her father took her hand in his. "It isss the pain of belonging," Icythan insisted, knowing his mistress was afraid. "Missstress will know usss, will sssee through usss. Missstress will have many eyes and ears."

Estella squeezed her father's hand, hoping she had both the strength and courage to see the bonds fulfilled.

* * *

 **Thank you all for your patience. I'm really trying to get my life together at the moment, and it just sucks. Until next time,**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**


	32. Intoxicated

**It's been ages. Torture me.**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

"Reginald, Estella," murmured a woman's voice, and Estella faintly felt a touch on her arm, followed by a hiss of pain. The woman swore softly, and Estella struggled to open her eyes, Icythan slithering around her neck and hissing wordlessly.

"Mum?" Estella whispered, wondering where she was and what was going on. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Meretta Parkington said, glancing at her daughter before turning to her husband and sighing. "You feel too safe here, dear husband." She sat down beside him and leaned against him, her hair brushing his face as she whispered in his ear.

He protested slightly before slipping his arms around his wife and pulling her down to him, kissing her head. "Shh," he mumbled, wanting to quiet her into not disturbing him.

She groaned in annoyance. "Reg, _wake up_. We're in the sand room, for Merlin's sake. And I accidentally touched one of the serpent bites."

Reginald sat up, looking confused until he saw Estella. He took a deep breath and reached out for his wife's hand, Summoning a small jar with his other hand. "You'll never stop doing that, will you?"

"It was an accident," Meretta pouted, hissing in surprise as the cold salve was applied to her burn.

"Oh, hush," Reginald smirked, leaning over to kiss her cheek. He then turned to his daughter after yawning and asked, "Do you feel properly chewed up?"

The bitemates protested this, though Estella merely looked at her father for too long before saying, "I have too many thoughts and I can't clear my mind."

The man nodded. "It's natural to feel clouded after bonding. You'll adjust to the new information in time."

"In time to view the Second Task in my right mind?" Estella smirked. "That's this morning, you know."

"Well, I'm sure you'll adjust fine," Meretta told her with a smirk.

The three got to their feet, brushing off their robes. Estella and her father rearranged the bitemates as Meretta managed to untangle her daughter's hair, putting her hair up and using a charm to put it in place. The small family walked toward the entrance, Estella startling slightly when she saw Megan coming to meet them across the Chamber.

"How isss Sssisha?" Reginald and Estella asked at the same time.

"Doing well," Megan beamed at them. "Are you okay, Ssstel?"

"She got a bit of bonding in last night," her father said, slipping his arm around his daughter. "Do you think you could make sure she stays conscious during the Task today?"

Megan laughed with Reginald as if it were a joke, and somehow, Estella felt that they sort of meant that fainting during bonding was a sign of weakness or carelessly. The carelessness, definitely. "I'm just fuzzy-minded," Estella sighed. "As if someone picked through my memories. Or did I do that to myself? I don't know…."

The red-haired Parselmouth smiled. "You'll be fine. Come along: you'll need to eat, and I'm sure the bitemates are hungry too."

" _Hisssusss_!" they demanded together, making everyone laugh.

"Oh, Estella," her father said as an afterthought, "I did want to tell you that when I speak Parseltongue with your mother in the room, I translate everything that is said to her through the connection of our minds."

"One thing you can do with our power," Meretta told her. "Though I'd be very careful before promising it to the likes of Meris Lestrange. They have to be worthy of knowing your thoughts in case you ever have a low moment, or doubt yourself."

"Of course," Estella nodded, looking between her parents. "Thanks for telling me."

Megan and Estella left the Chamber, quickly moving up toward the Great Hall after stopping in the kitchens to feed the bitemates. They took seats near Draco, Greg, and Vincent, the blonde smirking at Estella. "Potter isn't here. What do you bet that he just doesn't have what it takes to continue?"

Estella looked up at him, fuzzy-brained and all, and sighed, "Darling, Harry's got friends—and he's a Gryffindor. There's no way he won't participate."

"Bet me," Draco smirked at her.

"No," Estella sighed. "I don't want to see you lose. That would be embarrassing."

Draco's sidekicks chuckled, then both gasped in surprise when Draco elbowed them. "We have an hour until the Task begins," he said smoothly, "so he's got a little time."

Megan shot Draco a smirk. "Well, Diggory's here, so Hogwarts won't be totally disgraced."

Estella frowned, tuning everyone out as she wondered where Harry could possibly be. There was a slight pause until she had a distinct impression that he was in the library. Her concern about this caused her to ask, "Dad, can the Chamber actually tell me where people are in the castle?"

"Most people," Reginald answered with a slight hint of amusement. "Why do you ask?"

"Is Harry Potter really in the library?" she asked.

"Parkington, what are you talking about?" Draco said irritably.

"She's not talking to you," Megan said. "She probably doesn't know she's talking out loud."

"I didn't know," Estella echoed.

Reginald chuckled. "I know," he answered. "And you're also speaking out loud, love. Once you've gone through the bonds and things, I'll teach you what it means to be a descendant and heir of Salazar Slytherin."

Estella looked up with a huge grin on her face to see Draco looking at her with an expression of disgust. "I'm inclined to believe you're still possessed and unfit to be at school with us," he sneered.

"Your father has said as much about my father during their school days," Estella said the first thing that came to mind.

"Estella, we should finish eating and go on down to the lake if we want to get decent seats," Megan said firmly, and the younger girl began to eat methodically, drifting off into her introverted state.

"What's wrong with her?" Draco asked Megan warily.

"She's going through serpent-bonding," Megan answered. "Usually it takes place before the young serpent keepers are sent to Hogwarts, but that didn't work out for Stel. So my task today is to make sure she behaves. She's trying to adjust to the information the serpents are gathering."

"Whatever that means," Vincent sighed.

Megan rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever the serpents smell or see is being transmitted to her brain through the bond caused by the venom from the bonding bites. It sort of causes the Parselmouth to turn inward to try to understand and compensate for what's happening. She'll be back to normal soon."

Pansy smirked. "Meaning the same insolence without the daydreaming."

The redhead shrugged slightly. "What's Estella Parkington without some sass?"

"Ginny Weasley?" Pansy giggled hysterically, making the others laugh.

Minutes later, Estella got to her feet and motioned to Megan to follow. "I'll race you down to the stands," she said.

"I'm not running," Megan said warningly. "That's not dignified."

"I'll race you," someone called to her, and she looked up to see Karntaan grinning at her.

"Deal!" she called back.

Megan stared after the two hopelessly as they raced away through the open doors of the Great Hall and ran out into the grounds, heading down toward the lake. She couldn't help Estella very much if she was going to act like _that_.

Estella giggled in amusement as she and Karntaan collapsed in the taller grass farther away from where everyone was gathering. "You're too fast for me," he puffed as he tried to catch his breath. "I'm too short to race like that."

"Excuses," she giggled, though she too was out of breath. "Shall we go sit together?"

"W—wasn't Sage supposed to sit with you?" Karntaan asked her. "I seem to remember that you asked her to get seats with you."

"Oh, yeah," Estella sighed, curling up in the grass. "I'm comfortable here."

"Get up," Karntaan groaned, sitting up and tugging on her arm in pretend helplessness.

Both of them yelped when they were hit with Stinging Hexes, both leaping to their feet with their wands drawn. Megan stood there, arms crossed with her wand in her hand, shaking her head at them. "You may be children, but you are not commoners," she reminded them. "Karntaan, you should be ashamed of yourself. Don't encourage Estella to romp around like an animal."

Karntaan just gave Megan a reproachful look. "Live a little, Sage," he sighed dramatically.

"What are you three doing?" asked a stern, cross voice. "Get to the stands unless you want to miss everything."

Estella's head shot up as she recognised the voice, and she lunged forward, only to be held back by Megan. "Let go!" Estella protested. "He's my brother!" For it was indeed Percy Weasley that stood before her.

"He's a Ministry official," Megan hissed in her ear. "You will embarrass yourself and him if you hugtackle him here. You will go with me to your seat and you will not do anything else. Do you understand?"

"Fine," Estella huffed.

"Is she okay?" Percy said in concern, though he glanced back at the festivities behind him.

"She's bonding with her serpents, and she's slightly intoxicated from the venom," Megan sighed. "She'll be fine: I'm taking care of her."

Percy frowned at the three of them, then turned and left them alone.

Estella didn't say anything as they walked up to the stands and took their seats, though she was thrilled when she glanced to the side and saw Bill and Charlie with a dark-haired young woman that she could only imagine was Nymphadora. She sat down, a contented feeling in her heart, though she also felt that her parents weren't as pleased with the presence of Nymphadora Tonks.

Everyone was wondering where Harry Potter was now, as no one had seen him around, and Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen, either. Estella worried slightly, but the moment she saw the doors of the castle fly open and Harry come running down the steps, she knew he would make it.

A small feeling of pride came over her, but she stayed in her seat even though she shot Draco a smug look. They announced and began the Task almost as soon as Harry had arrived, and Estella shivered as she watched the four Champions disappear beneath the grey-black water of the lake.

She saw Fleur and Cedric using Bubble-Head Charms, and wondered at Krum's turning himself into shark-man. "He's going to scare all the little fishies," she heard someone say. She started giggling quietly, though she wondered what on earth Harry was doing as he walked into the lake in his normal T-shirt and jeans. Once the surface of the water was smooth again, everyone began to worry about what was happening beneath the surface.

It wasn't long until Fleur broke the surface, panting and gasping, that everyone turned to stare, wondering why she'd come back without the "hostage" that was her task to retrieve. Estella quickly realised that there were creatures attacking her, and jumped to her feet in shock as the Veela finally managed to fight them off. Fleur soon staggered out of the water, obviously cut and bruised from her battle against the underwater creatures.

"I could not get past zem," she cried out to Madame Maxine. "Gabrielle ees still down zere!" The Veela was nearly hysterical, torn between her fear of the grindylows and her fear of losing her sister. She did not return to the water.

It was just one minute past the hour when someone else broke the surface and most of the Hogwarts students leapt to their feet as they recognised Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang down in the water, swimming toward the shore.

Estella cheered along with Megan and the others, glad that the first to complete the task was a Hogwarts Champion. Not too long later, Viktor Krum arrive with—shockingly enough—Hermione Granger. There was milder applause for this, but still there was no sign of Harry or his hostage.

Everyone was wondering whether they should all be preparing to Summon the bodies from the lake when at last, the surface broke in the middle of the lake to reveal Harry, Ron, and a silver-haired child tiredly swimming for the shore.

"Zey have Gabrielle!" Fleur shrieked before most people could see what was happening.

People began to scream and shout, and Estella distinctly saw Percy step his shiny-toed shoes into the dark lake water and slosh out to help Ron and Harry on into the shore. They finally arrived, the last three getting pounced on with blankets and Pepperup Potion so that their ears could be seen smoking from the topmost part of the stands.

Estella saw Fleur embrace her sister firmly, then turn on Harry and Ron and embrace them both, kissing their cheeks. She noticed with some sympathy that Hermione looked simply furious, and smiled at the whole situation.

Dumbledore was now screeching back and forth at the Merpeople as they conversed in Mermish to understand what had happened on the bottom of the lake. It did not take long for the judges to go into conference about what had happened and reach a decision.

"I spy, with my Inner Eye," Karnt droned, making everyone around laugh, "Dumbledore will impress on everyone just how _chivalrous_ and _noble_ it is to be concerned he will drown an unrescued hostage."

Estella giggled at his words, but nodded. The scores were soon announced: Fleur was given twenty-five out of fifty points since she had failed in the task, but done a decent Bubble-Head Charm. Cedric was given forty-seven points since he was only a minute late, and Krum was given forty points since he arrived soon after. "Harry will get fifty," she said, poking Karnt. The boy shrugged.

"...Mr. Potter was the first to reach the hostages, and the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own." Every Gryffindor glared at Harry. "Most of the judges feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However...Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."

The crowd erupted into applause, Ron and Hermione jumping up to hug Harry in their excitement: Potter was now tied with Cedric for first place. Estella bounced up and down next to Megan, unable to contain her excitement. Everyone was thrilled with the outcome of the Task—everyone, that is, except Karkaroff.

Estella hissed at him wordlessly as she walked by, glaring at him sharply. She was distracted when she saw her brothers walking toward the Hogwarts gates with the young Auror.

"Nymphiiie!" she yelled, darting away from Megan and making Karkaroff jump as she dashed across his path and ran after her brothers and Nymphadora.

The brown-haired witch turned to give her a deadly look. "Do _not_ call me Nymphie!" she snapped.

"Aw," Estella pouted. "Nymphie disapproves of her name."

"Nymphadora disapproves of her nickname," the witch growled, her hair red as she let a bit of magic sear the distance between them and burn the girl's arm slightly.

"That's not nice," Estella huffed, waving her wand over her arm and knowing she'd have to put burn cream on it later.

Charlie protested the retaliation, saying, "Tonks, she's just a child!"

Tonks gave him a small smile. "A child that will grow to be like her mother, I have no doubt," she answered. "Plus, I would have full on hexed her if I weren't an adult and Ministry Auror."

"I want to duel you one day," Estella mused, tilting her head slightly.

"Keep on like this," Tonks told her. "You're well on your way, Parkington."

Bill shook his head, his earrings swinging merrily. "I don't understand how you two can fight all the time and still claim to be friends."

"Like her and Melvin?" Estella piped up again. "He says he wants to see you again, by the way, but I wouldn't tell him where you live or arrange a meeting because he's a little bit creepy."

Both Weasley boys looked confused, and Nymphadora's face darkened. "You're asking to get hexed," she said in a low voice. "Why don't you go back up to the castle before we have a problem?"

"I just wanted to see you before you left," Estella shrugged. "I do like you, but you're fun to tease."

"This is not teasing," Tonks replied, morphing her hair black. "Running after me screaming 'Nymphie' isn't nice. You know better."

"Well, it got your attention," she grinned. "Anyway, I'm glad you could be here. Be careful about Melvin though. I'm sure you know: he's Dark."

"Behave, Parkington," Nymphadora sighed. "Go back to your red-haired friend: I think she's angry."

Estella rolled her eyes. "Probably, but she's trying to get in with Draco, so she won't dare approach us," she said. "Nice seeing you." She reached out and hugged the older witch before Nymphadora could move, and the girl flinched as if she expected to be cursed or bitten.

The bitemates hissed, but Estella merely thought of telling them to be quiet, and they all fell silent. She stepped back from Nymphadora and grinned. "Take care of yourself," she said, then turned and dashed away across the grounds back toward the castle and Megan.

"What do you think you're doing, going over there to them while you're vulnerable like this?!" Megan demanded. "You're going straight back to the Chamber until you're over this, Estella, and I will hear no argument."

"I—I'm fine," Estella protested, but Megan grabbed her hand, and with a crackle of magic from the red-haired witch, Estella made no further attempt to get away.

Megan marched her down to the Chamber, Reginald meeting them at the main entrance, and the redhead said, "I'm sorry I couldn't keep her out of trouble, but I don't remember any of our bondings making us this difficult. I'm sure you know most of it, but don't let her out of here unless you have some way to control her or she gets back to normal." The redhead turned on her heel and walked out of the Chamber, still annoyed with Estella.

Reginald wrapped an arm around his daughter. "Gave her a bit too much trouble, did you?"

"I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, I don't think," Estella said in confusion. "Except, I didn't really think about what I was going to do: I just did them. Or began to do them. She stopped me from hugging Percy, but she couldn't stop me from chasing after Nymphie." Estella grinned wickedly.

"'I want to duel you.'" Meretta's voice came from further in the Chamber. "Really, now, Estella. As you grow older, you'll have more than enough opportunity."

Estella grinned. "I know. I just wanted to see her reaction. She's amusing."

Meretta appeared around the corner, walking forward and joining them, wrapping her arm around her daughter from the other side. "You were a little out of control, but a little craziness isn't bad."

"You have to be able to own your crazy," Reginald said. "I didn't realise that it would effect you more since you're older. Your inhibitions are lowered—you're saying and doing exactly what you think and want to say and do. There's barely a guard."

"And my brothers will go through this too, won't they?" Estella nodded, feeling her mother flinch. "Oh, I shouldn't have said that, either." She frowned, then lifted her head. "But I'll be here for them, and I'll know what it was like to go through it myself."

They continued through the Chamber, and Estella finally asked, "Wasn't it strange for you to bond to Tabashi's first clutch when you were eighteen, Father? Did it have the same sort of effect?"

"I had no one close to me," Reginald replied. "And even though I married your mother very soon after, she didn't really know me before, and she linked our minds soon after. I didn't have to speak my every first thought for her to know it. And we fought SO much when we were first married. It was awful."

"Oh, I can imagine," Estella said, then clapped her hand over her mouth, making both of her parents laugh. "I'm sorry for anything else shocking I'm going to say," she told them. "I love you both."

"Have you no faith in us?" Meretta scolded her daughter, laughing. "So. Since you seem to have lost your filter, let's talk about you being a Death Eater. How do you feel about that?"

Estella frowned and replied, "I am not against it. I will do what is expected of me, and as I am primary Serpent Keeper, I doubt I can avoid it. I want to become powerful and feared like you, Mum."

Reginald grinned. "And not by hug-tackling the assistance Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation in such a public setting."

"I had full right!" Estella protested.

"And for those who don't understand that you consider him a brother?" Meretta raised an eyebrow. "Or the fact that Ginny Weasley doesn't exist and she's a mere shadow of the real you?"

"He's still my brother," she said stubbornly. "No one else understands him like I do. He's really nice, if you can ignore how rigid he is about rules and things."

"Do you feel that way about the rest of the Weasleys?" Meretta asked her.

"Do you really want to know, Mum?" Estella countered.

The woman rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't be asking you at this moment if I wasn't ready for any sort of response out of you."

Estella nodded understandingly and said, "I was raised with them. I like the older boys better, but I really can't stand Ron, and the twins can be really pesky. I love Mr. Weasley because he's kind and he stands up for me. Obviously I hate Molly. I don't mind being with Bill, Charlie, and Percy. Those three are fun together. It's when Percy's got to 'be the example' that things go wrong."

Reginald agreed, and Meretta asked, "Would you ever be able to turn your back on them?"

"No," Estella said, looking pained, and Meretta's mouth twitched ever so slightly. "Even when I do leave them, I will want to see some of them again. I can't hate all of them...Charlie helped me learn to walk again after I was Obliviated...Bill and Percy have defended me against Ron and the twins—I don't want to lose my big brothers. It's nice to have protectors. They're a clan, a mob, just like Hufflepuffs, but in a Gryffindor sense. I love them."

"You're going to have a difficult time adjusting if you can't let go of them," Reginald told her softly.

"I can let go," Estella replied. "But I'll never forget them. And I wouldn't ever want to hurt them."

Her parents both nodded, leading their daughter into their room and sitting her down on the bed. "So am I going to be staying here until I can stop saying scandalous things?" Estella asked. "Because I can't go to Potions like this: I will lose Gryffindor the House Cup." She started giggling hysterically at the thought and said, "Maybe I should go."

Meretta shook her head. "You'd get yourself a week's detention for telling Snape he can neglect his cauldrons for one day to wash his greasy hair."

"Good idea," Estella continued to giggle. "So what shall we do while we wait for me to grow a filter again?"

"Well," Meretta smirked, "you know the Potter-Krum-Granger triangle? I was thinking we should send the girl a Howler for our amusement. After all, she deserves a bit of chastisement for playing the boys, don't you think?"

"I don't know," Estella shrugged. "We can try it."

"Meretta, this might not be the best idea," Reginald said to his wife.

"Of course not," Meretta answered. "I want to make sure that part of the message gets through, so it's going as a Howler. And I'm sure, Estella, that you know how to send these. Let's figure out what to say so I can get started."

Estella grinned and leaned forward eagerly to hear what her mother had in mind.


	33. Howlers

**Currently in Louisville, Kentucky, for my sister's NASP World Archery Tournament! Woohoo!**

 **INCENDIO, PHOENIX HEAT (opposing team from our state).**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

The next time Megan saw Estella, she brought Guage to the Hospital Wing, the girl having been hit by a rogue spell from a student in a duel. "Are you better?" Megan asked with a frown.

"Do I _look_ better?" Guage demanded of her friend in indignation.

"Not you," Megan sighed. "You look the same."

Estella smiled, dusting her hands off and noting on the chart on the end of Guage's bed. "I'm fine," she answered. "Sorry I gave you so much trouble. It's a very strange state of mind, that sort of bonding. Madame Pomfrey will be here in a moment to put her to rights."

Megan sighed in relief. "You just said and did whatever you wanted, like you did first year," she said. "It's exhausting."

"Think of it as parenting," Guage told her friend. "Don't have children."

"She can't do that if she wantsss Draco," Estella hissed in Parseltongue, laughing.

"Parkington," Megan sputtered, "you are awful."

The door of the Hospital Wing burst open, Estella turning as Hermione dashed in, tears in her eyes. "Ron says it's Bobotuber Pus," she breathed. "It really hurts."

Estella waved her wand to clean off the extra goo, then summoned a salve used for open sores. "It'll burn a little," she warned, then began to dress the wounds.

Hermione didn't say anything, though she looked up as Madam Pomfrey came over to see what was going on. "Dear, dear, what happened?"

"I'm getting hate mail because of that _stupid_ article that Skeeter woman wrote about me," Hermione spat. "Someone sent me an envelope of Bobotuber Pus at breakfast! And I've got Howlers, too!"

Estella held back a smirk, realising her mother wasn't the only one who had had that idea. Madam Pomfrey nodded sympathetically. "Well done, Estella. Wrap her hands, and send her on her way. She'll be fine in a couple days."

Hermione scowled at the wall as Estella continued her task and the matron walked away. "I hate Rita Skeeter," Hermione huffed.

"Same," Estella answered, and the brown-haired witch looked up.

"I know who you are," she told her.

Estella froze for a moment, then continued to wrap the older girl's hands. "Who I am?"

Hermione nodded, her brown hair bouncing against her shoulders. "You're Estella Parkington, who was adopted by the Weasleys."

"The adoption never went through," Estella said, her eyes narrowing as she gave Hermione a warning look.

"I don't know how to talk to you," Hermione sighed. "There are so many things I want to ask you, but…."

"Well, you can always approach the red-haired me a lot easier," Estella answered with a small smile.

"But she isn't around much anymore," Hermione answered earnestly. "I'm worried about you, Ginny."

"I'm not Ginny," the dark-haired girl replied. "I'm actually trying to get rid of her."

Hermione gave her a look of concern. "I really want to talk to you later, then, Estella," she said softly. "Please."

Estella nodded. "I'll come up to the Common Room tonight—if I can sleep over."

"Okay," Hermione agreed with a nod. "Though I can't promise I'll be of any help with these hands."

"You'll be better tomorrow," Estella answered. "Run along now. I'm sure you have a class."

"Care of Magical Creatures," Hermione answered, moving backward toward the door. "Thanks!"

"No problem," Estella waved, then turned to see the expression on Megan's face.

"Yes?"

"What do you suppose she wants to discuss with you, _Ginny_?" Guage asked, her complexion greatly improved from Madam Pomfrey's work.

Estella sighed. "The pros and cons of having two personalities? We'll see. I guess I'm staying up in Gryffindor tonight."

Megan shrugged. "Your choice. I'll shelter you whenever, though I was thinking we should have you officially sheltered to Slytherin so that you can attend classes with the Slytherins in your year."

"A thought for next year," Guage nodded. "Though perhaps we should mention it to Professor Snape soon…."

"Yes," Megan agreed. "Look: I've got to run off to class so I can make sure to have notes for you. But I'll be back so we can work on a way to ask Snape about it."

Estella watched her Parselmouth friend rush out of the Hospital Wing and smiled. Perhaps things wouldn't be so bad for her after all when everyone found out the truth about Ginny Weasley.

* * *

She entered the Great Hall that evening at supper with her full Ginny Weasley appearance, seeing her old roommates looking at her and whispering to each other. They hadn't really bothered her since she'd saved Marlene's life the previous year. Walking past them, she sat down by Fred and George and said, "Hi."

They both looked at her for a moment, and George said, "I'm sorry, do we know you?"

"Far less than you think you do," Ginny grinned at the boys.

"You've been gone—"

"Too long—"

"Perhaps you should test our newest creation," Fred suggested with a gleam in his eye.

Ginny smirked at him. "Well, I would, but I've got to meet Hermione in the Common Room later, and I don't want to have to report to the Hospital Wing first."

George shook his head. "Such doubt, dear sister."

"Self-preservation, dear brother," she responded, then perked up as the food appeared, beginning to serve herself.

"So how's it going?" Fred prodded. "I hear you've been hanging out with the oldest Lestrange boy a lot. People are talking."

"You're talking," Ginny said through a mouthful of roll. "No one else watches Parkington. Most who know her leave her alone. She's a difficult child."

The twins chuckled at this, and George said, "But honestly, how's it going, Ginny? Are you okay?"

Ginny nodded. "I'm better bonded to my serpents, and classes are going well. I really need to study for DADA—maybe Hermione can help me with that tonight. I don't want to mess it up next class. My friend groups are changing, but I think it's for the better. I still don't know what makes the Charleston girls act so strange sometimes."

The Weasley twins looked across the hall at the Slytherin House table, seeing Brianna and Samantha Charleston watching them with Estella. "They're watching us," Fred frowned, turning his attention back to his dinner. "Why?"

"They don't like that I've been hanging out with the Lestranges and Megan Sage more than them," Estella answered. "They—well, at least Samantha—thinks that I should be primarily their friend—but I'm not. Megan is more like me, and can help me more."

"What?" George raised an eyebrow. "She's got a second personality too?"

Ginny glanced over at him, her wand in her hand before he knew it. His goblet overflowed with green bubbling goo, George scrambling to get up as Angelina and Katie laughed at him.

"Little sis took care of you," Lee Jordan laughed at the twins.

Someone came hurrying down to the twins, and Ginny inwardly groaned as Colin Creevey said, "That's really cool! Can you do it again? I'd like to get a picture of it."

Fred and George looked at each other, and George shrugged. "That was the prototype. We'll have to get a second one before we try it again."

The boy looked disappointed, but he nodded and went back to his seat. "See what you've got us into," Fred said to Estella. "Why can't you behave?"

"You sound like your mother," Ginny said haughtily, tossing her hair at them.

"Oooh," Lee Jordan laughed, and George threw a chicken leg at him. "Shut up."

" _You AWFUL girl!_ "

Everyone in the Great Hall jumped in surprise and stared over at Hermione, who was glaring up at a Howler that happened to disapprove of her supposed love triangle with Harry Potter and Viktor Krum. Several students catcalled and most of them laughed at her predicament.

"She should just burn them," Ginny shrugged, cutting her meat up on her plate. "It's easier than letting them explode or even opening them."

"Tell her," Angelina said, looking down the Gryffindor table sympathetically.

"No!" Katie and Fred protested together, laughing.

"Is it true that she's after both of them?" Katie asked breathlessly.

"Nothing is farther from the truth," Ginny assured them all. "She's just a friend of Harry's, and Viktor—well, he's a sort of a fling, I think. She doesn't really care for him, but he's intrigued with her because she doesn't swoon over him like most of the other girls around do."

A little while later, Ginny got to her feet and walked toward the door, catching Hermione's eye before she left the room. She wasn't surprised when Hermione caught up to her on her way up to the Gryffindor Common Room. "I can't wait to find out how that Skeeter woman's listening in on private conversations while she's _banned_ from Hogwarts grounds," Hermione growled in a barely controlled voice.

"Well, if she's banned, and no one knows how she's getting her information," Ginny began, "she's either got an insider—"

"Or she's doing it _illegally_ ," Hermione interrupted, "in which case I will be more than happy to turn her in."

"Yes," Ginny nodded in agreement. "She's gone way too far, talking about Harry, Hagrid, you—I wonder who she'll attack next?"

"No one, if I have anything to do about it," Hermione said determinedly.

Ginny followed Hermione over to a corner of the Common Room, curling up in a comfortable chair as the older girl sat down next to her. "Ward," Ginny said simply, and Hermione bit her lip. "Oh." The redhead sat up and raised her wand, putting a Silencing Ward around them. "No one will hear us," she said. "Though I thought I'd given you that book…."

"It's in the pile of books to be read," Hermione sighed, "but I've been helping Harry research and practise for the Tournament, and I'm beginning to study for OWLS—"

Ginny blinked. "Oh, okay. Wow."

Hermione just shook her head. "It's been quite the year so far," she said. "But I wanted to talk to you...you were—I didn't know—"

"No one told you I was adopted by the Weasleys because I didn't know myself when I first met you," Estella answered, taking the charms off of her hair and making Hermione stare at her awkwardly.

"How did you find out?" Hermione asked. "And why didn't you know? How old were you when the Weasleys got you?"

"I was two when I was sent to the Burrow," Estella began hesitantly. "I rediscovered who I was when Tom pointed it out to me in the Chamber...he had known all along."

"Tom—you mean, the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Hermione whispered. "He told you?"

"He let me find out," the younger witch nodded. "He helped me figure out how to balance the information. It terrified me at first. I mean, discovering that I was the only daughter of two Death Eaters that are still free was a bit of a shock. After a little while, my memories began to come back, especially when I was hit with a spell that broke some of my Memory Charms."

"Memory Charms?" Hermione frowned. "Why would you have any of those?"

"I remembered too much of my parents' Death Eater life," Estella said quietly. "That, and I Cursed Ron with a curse my real mother had taught me. Molly took me to St. Mungo's and had me subdued so I didn't know who I was. She even made me believe I looked like a Weasley, but it's all just charms and spells."

"Why wouldn't she just tell you not to hurt Ron and leave it at that?" the brown-haired witch asked, puzzled. "It sounds so dramatic."

Estella sighed. "Hermione. Don't judge me—but I used an illegal curse on Ron the day that she took me to St. Mungo's."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You did? No!"

Estella nodded. "You saw MadEye do it in your class, to the spider. I made him sing, as my real mother used to say. I didn't know any better when I was two years old: I only knew that Ron made me angry and I wanted to hurt him. Since Mum and Dad did it, shouldn't I be able to do it too?"

"Ginny," Hermione breathed in horror.

"There was no talk of how it was naughty of me to use such a Curse on my 'brother,'" Estella said harshly. "They didn't try to convince me that I should be nice and not use spells that I'd seen my parents do. I lost myself that day, Hermione. It was wrong."

"And this is why no one knows that you are Estella Parkington?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," the dark-haired girl mumbled, curling into herself as her bitemates hissed words of comfort to her. "I was introduced to the world as Ginny Weasley, but ALL of Slytherin House knows the real me, and some of Ravenclaw knows as well. One day, I will truly be Estella Parkington, and I won't have to play this stupid game anymore. I want it to be soon: I'm tired of it all."

"Ron never speaks of this," Hermione said quietly. "Does he remember what happened?"

"His Memory Charm is still in place," Estella murmured. "He doesn't know what I did or who I am. He'd probably hate me—he did back then. We used to fight all the time—even more than we did before he started school. Molly doesn't know that I've regained my memories—well, I take that back."

Her face darkened as she said, "When we went to visit Bill a while back, I began to have some bad dreams, and Molly got worried about them because she realised that I had my memories back. She took me back to St. Mungo's and they put more Memory Charms on me, but they were quickly broken when I returned to school—I've been playing games of wandless magic with my friends, and it broke them last year. Molly can't find out again, Hermione, or she'll try it again. I have to be strong enough to stop her before she finds out that I know the truth."

Fear crossed her face, and Hermione reached over to her, carefully putting her arms around her. "She probably just wants what's best for you," Hermione said softly. "Can't you talk to her and your dad—Mr. Weasley—about it? I'm sure they'd listen."

"Dad loves me," Estella whispered, her grip tightening on the older girl, "but Molly would never listen. Dad chose me in the orphanage, but she always preferred her little brat over me. She chose to hate me, but loves everyone else, including you and Harry. I don't understand—I don't deserve to be treated like that, Hermione."

"No, no, you don't," Hermione murmured in concern. "Oh dear.

"I won't suffer under her forever," the girl said warningly, looking up at the older Gryffindor. "Don't be mad at me when I have to leave—you'll probably be there."

"It isn't going to be soon, is it?" Hermione looked half frightened. "You can't just walk away from the Weasleys, can you? I mean, the Ministry knows they have you. Won't you just be sent back?"

"That's why I've got to wait until I have _options_ ," Estella said firmly, sitting up straight. "I have to have plans."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Do your—do the other Weasley boys know, then? I saw you talking to Bill and Charlie and their friend after the Second Task."

With a rueful smile, Estella replied, "They all know except Ron. Bill, Charlie, Percy, the twins—they all know and accept it."

"And they help you?" Hermione inquired.

"Yeah," Estella answered. "Bill and Percy especially, because they're the closest to me. I haven't seen Charlie much since I recovered my memories." She smiled and reached over to grasp Hermione's hand. "I'm not the frightened little girl I was in First Year," she said. "I'm learning my place, learning to protect and help myself, and I'm not really afraid anymore."

Hermione squeezed her hand. "Good," she said. "If you need help, I'm always here, just like always."

"Thanks," Estella said gratefully. "And actually, I was wondering if you could help me brush up on some Defense?"

"What are you studying?" Hermione asked curiously, and Estella reached for her books.

* * *

Estella sat between Meris and Rohan in the Great Hall at breakfast a few days later, the three and Karntaan all laughing at something that Draco had said. "He doesn't strike me as ever having been smart," Karnt shrugged, and the others agreed.

"Here come the owls," Estella sang, looking up and watching as they descended to the house tables. It didn't take long for the Howlers to start going off at the Gryffindor table, but none of them seemed to know how to stop the things.

Most of the students in the Great Hall were soon commenting to each other and laughing as rumour after rumour was mentioned by the screaming letters. The final straw for Estella came when one of the Howlers began to scream obscenities in the middle of the Great Hall.

She drew her wand, jumping to her feet and shouting, " **Incendio**!" Fire from her wand shot across the tables over the heads of the students and hit the screaming Howler, the paper letting out a final shriek before it exploded and rained down on the Gryffindor House table, finished.

Hermione turned to stare at her, and Estella merely smirked at her. "Use _Incendio_ ," she told Hermione. "The Howlers will scream a final time and die. It's quite useful." She sat back down between her Lestrange friends, who all turned to smirk at her. "I'm tired of hearing about her triangle," Estella huffed in exasperation. "She should know how to stop Howlers by now, as well."

Meris chuckled bemusedly. "That was a decent spell," he told her. "I'm sure lots of the students could feel the heat of those flames."

Estella shrugged, picking up her fork again. "As long as it does what I needed to," she sighed. "I'm tired of her haters disturbing my dinner. They don't even know her, anyway."

"You defending the pretty little Mudblood?" Rohan asked her seriously, raising an eyebrow."

"Slightly," Estella answered, looking right back at him. "But at least now she can stop her own Howlers before they get going. She's smart enough that I expect better of her."

The boys laughed, and Karnt added, "Most of us do, actually, though we just revel in scandal."

"Others' scandal," Meris smirked.

"Of course," Estella laughed. "What else can we do, since ours is well-known?"

The twins glanced at her. "Your only scandal, Parkington," Rohan said to her, "is that you can't keep your mother happy."

Estella accidentally spat out the mouthful of juice that she'd tried to drink, then turned to glare at the boy. "When your dear mum comes back, and you're trying to keep _her_ happy, boy, I'm going to laugh in your face when she tortures you for failure."

"Estella!" Meris said in surprise, frowning in disapproval.

"If Estella doesn't volunteer to help," Karnt chuckled, elbowing his twin. "Do you really think you'll have your own mother figured out by then, Stel?"

"I didn't say that," the witch replied haughtily, tossing her hair. She shrugged, then muttered, "I don't know if I ever could understand her fully, not having known her. It's complicated."

Rohan stayed out of the conversation, a frown on his face as he concentrated on his breakfast. Estella wondered vaguely if she'd hit on one of his fears with her words, but didn't say anything else, and began to tell them about Fred and George's newest creation to escape the topic of their mothers.


	34. Chapter 34

**I'm still working on T/G, I promise!**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

One afternoon as Estella entered the library to do some research for a Potions project, she found Hermione alone at a table with an enormous pile of books. "How's it going?" she asked the brown-haired witch thoughtfully.

Hermione sighed, pushing a pile of books out of the way to make a spot for Estella to sit and have a space at the table. "Fine," she said, "though now Harry has some sort of idea what he's getting into for the last task—"

"What is it?" Estella asked curiously, sensing her mother's distant disapproval.

"Well, it's a dangerous maze," Hermione began seriously. "Filled with all sorts of obstacles and creatures Harry will have to get past. The Tri-Wizard Cup will be in the center, and whoever gets there first, wins."

"Oh," said the black-haired girl with a frown. "That sounds doable, doesn't it?"

Hermione just gave her a look, then turned back to her books. "I'm trying to find the best spells for Harry to learn in order to deal with anything that he might encounter," she explained. "Ron and I are supposed to helping him learn these spells, but the two of them are distracted—did you know that Mr. Crouch disappeared, Gin—Estella?"

Estella felt her mother's amazement at the other girl's use of her real name and almost smiled. "Well, a couple of students with family at the Ministry said he'd been acting strangely, and of course Percy's been having to fill in…." She frowned in thought, asking, "so he's no longer playing sick; he's actually completely gone?"

"Well, yes," Hermione said. "Look: here comes Harry. He can tell you about it. Harry! Harry!" And she waved him over to their table.

Harry looked at her, no recognition at all on his face. "Hello," he said to her politely after greeting Hermione.

"Hi, Harry," she said in a voice as close to Cho's as she could get, watching in satisfaction as Harry blushed slightly.

"This is Estella Parkington," Hermione said simply. "She was just asking me about how Crouch disappeared."

"I thought maybe SPEW got him," Estella said breathlessly before she winked at Harry.

The boy grinned. "Well, Crouch came here to see Dumbledore, but Krum and I found him talking nonsense out by the Forbidden Forest. I left him with Krum and went to get help, but when I returned with help, Crouch was gone and Krum was knocked out. Mr. Crouch was nowhere to be found, and even Moody had a look around."

"He isss of the sssame nessst asss your sssire," began one of the serpents, but Estella hissed, " _Sssilence!_ "

The boy stared at her. "Who are you talking to?" he asked very quietly.

"My bitemates," Estella replied, grabbing up her Potions books and getting to her feet. "I am a Parselmouth from a family of such, Potter. I will see you around. Both of you." She turned and walked away from them to find a more private place to study.

* * *

Estella went down to the dungeons later that night to the news that the Minister of Magic had visited the school due to Crouch's disappearing without a trace. Lauren, Alvin, Draco, and Theo were having a serious conversation about what they thought had happened to the missing Ministry official.

"Why would he have disappeared from here, though?" Alvin pointed out. "If he was supposed to be at home, ill, why was he here?"

"I heard from Megan that someone said Crouch was here to speak to Dumbledore, and that Crouch was saying he'd done something terrible," Theo added, looking from his brother to Lauren. "What could Crouch have possibly done to want to come talk to the Headmaster about it?"

"It's probably a lie," Lauren said after a moment. "You know they might just want to cause trouble for Dumbledore."

"Of course," Draco smirked. "Though I heard it was Potter that started the rumour about Crouch talking nonsense and all, but he's a big fan of Dumbledore, isn't he?"

Estella walked over and said eagerly, "Hey, I heard you mention Crouch. Is there any word on where he's gone? No one seems to know anything."

"Perhaps you know," Lauren said thoughtfully. "What's Potter saying about Crouch's disappearance? He was there, right?"

"There were no witnesses," Estella replied. "Potter left to get Dumbledore because Crouch was speaking unintelligibly, but Viktor Krum was stunned and Crouch was gone when the two returned. No one saw what happened, or where Crouch went. Or who did it."

"Who do you think could have done it?" Theo asked her. "We've all been saying it might be a ruse of Dumbledore's, or even that Crouch didn't want anyone else but Dumbledore to know he'd been here."

"Or that he made too many enemies at the Ministry and one of them tried to get rid of him," Alvin shrugged, making Lauren look at him in disapproval.

Estella grinned at the couple's expressions, then said, "Well, the Grouch has got plenty of enemies elsewhere too, hasn't he? When he used to be the Head of the Magical Department of Law Enforcement and all. Some of us don't mind the thought of him being gone, and the Ministry will get used to it."

Draco gave her a look that was too shrewd for his smirking face. "Do you know something about this that you're not saying, Parkington?" he asked her very dangerously.

"I don't," she shrugged. "Ask your father. Maybe there's something _he_ isn't telling you."

 _He hasn't returned to his former colleagues as of yet._

She couldn't believe the ears of her mind as she very clearly heard her father speak to her. _Dad?_ She barely dared to think or even breathe for fear someone would pick up on what was happening. _Did the Death Eaters really get him?_

 _Hisssusss_ , her father agreed. _But not oursss_.

"Or was your father a good friend of Crouch?" Estella asked sympathetically. "Patched up all that broken trust, has he? I'm so sorry, Draco, a great loss indeed."

"I'm inclined to agree with Draco," Alvin said, looking at her. "I think you know something."

" _My_ father says," Estella smirked, pulling a face at Draco, "that he fell to the enemies he made last time. And that is all I know."

"Death Eaters?" Lauren said in a quiet voice.

Draco looked around at them, and Theo met his gaze, the two looking away from each other. "What is it?" Estella asked them with a frown.

Theodore Nott looked up into Estella's face. "Well, I suppose you know, having talked to your parents and all," he murmured. "The Dark Lord is gaining in strength—all of us know it. My and Alvin's father has told us about the Death Eaters' Marks becoming more easily visible on the skin once again, and Lauren's father has talked to her about it itching and burning like it used to. He's gaining power...this is just the beginning."

Estella nodded, the five looking around at each other. "What are we going to do?"

"Nothing," Lauren said quietly. "Our families are in this already, as you well know."

"Are none of your families participating in the plans for the Dark Lord's return?" Estella breathed after quickly putting up a Silencing Ward. "Things are working...all his Death Eaters will be recalled to him, regardless of whether they looked for him or not."

"So what part of this plan you were talking about, Estella," Draco interrupted, "has to do with Crouch being killed."

"Killed?" Theo frowned. "No one said he was killed."

"Crouch taken by Death Eaters—we can assume we'll never see him again," Lauren sighed in reply.

"Was he only killed for revenge?" Estella said in confusion. "Why would he be part of a plan to bring back the Dark Lord? Unless they just had to get him out of the way...he was a nasty piece of work last time, anyway."

Draco glanced across the Common Room toward Pansy and the two girls she was with before saying, "He did have a lot of enemies, among the Death Eaters and at the Ministry."

Alvin nodded, slipping his arm around Lauren's waist and pulling her toward him on the couch. "Seems like only a short time until we have another war, don't you think?"

"Most only live once," Estella grinned. "That's part of what makes the Dark Lord so special."

No one laughed, and Estella sighed. "The twins would have appreciated that."

" _Weasley_ twins?" Draco scoffed. "No way."

"Lestrange twins," Estella giggled at Draco's thoughts.

"You know, you really upset Rohan the other day," Lauren said to Estella, wrinkling her brow as she tried to remember. "Meris told me you insulted the twins' mother or something."

"That is the _last_ thing I would ever do," Estella said in alarm, able to clearly hear her mother cackling with laughter at her statement. "But what goes on between me and the boys is really not prefect business, Lauren. We have other ways of settling our issues."

Lauren sighed, shaking her head. "Please be careful," she told the black-haired witch. "You know we Slytherins try not to send our own students to the Hospital Wing as a rule, but I feel like with you four, we could have some severe injuries."

"Maybe next year," Estella said kindly.

"She'll be Head Girl," Theo laughed, "and she's sure to put you in detention if you mess up then."

"Well, hopefully I'll be Head Girl," Lauren said modestly.

"Of course you will," Estella told her confidently. "You're perfect for it—especially if Alvin's the Head Boy at your side. Wouldn't that be adorable?" She giggled, hearing Theo making gagging sounds and motions.

"Pardon us," Alvin said, pulling Lauren up from the couch at that moment. "While you children amuse yourselves as you are currently, we'll be off, acting like adults."

"Acting like hormonal teenagers," Estella muttered, Theo laughing again.

Lauren gave her an inquiring look, but didn't ask and walked away arm in arm with her boyfriend. Estella and the two boys sat there for a moment, and Theo finally asked, "Are you doing any studying for exams yet, Estella? I could use some assistance in studying, and I don't have anyone to study with."

"I'll help," Estella answered, "though I'm not in your year."

"That's fine," Theo said. "I need help to study Charms and Transfig, and I know you're at least gifted at Charms."

"If you'll give me a few pointers for Potions," Estella said, and Theo agreed, Estella moving to sit on the couch with him instead of in her own chair. "I tried to study in the library, but I got chased out. I have a project and a test coming up in Potions even before the year-end exams."

"Damn," Theo said ruefully. "That's going to be difficult."

"I'm trying my best," Estella said firmly. "I can only hope that I do well enough to become an actual Healer."

"Oh," the boy breathed. "I forgot you were doing that. Wow. You know, I'm sure you'll do very well. You're really smart for your age."

"Thanks," Estella blushed, ducking her head as Draco shot her a smirk. She reached for her books. "What do you want to do first?"

* * *

" **Episkey**."

The boy whose finger she had just healed let out a yell, and she smirked at him. "Next time, don't shut your finger in a door," she told him pointedly. "If you were more careful, you wouldn't be here."

"You never know," the boy muttered in annoyance.

Estella shrugged, then said, "You'll be fine. Off you go."

The boy left quickly, and Estella went to the office to see what else she could help the matron with. "Check on the Skele-gro, dear," the matron said, measuring out several different pain-killing potions into labeled bottles. "I believe it's ready to be bottled as well."

The dark-haired girl nodded, then turned and carefully labeled a bottle, then began to ladle the potion into it. "Is it normal to not have very many injuries at this time of year?" she asked after a moment.

"They'll start back up soon," Madam Pomfrey said. "Especially once the Third Task happens."

"I can't wait for that," Estella said with a grin. "It's going to be interesting to see what each of them comes across in the maze."

"I hope they're up to it," the matron said firmly, shaking her head.

Someone entered the Hospital Wing, and both of them looked over at the same time to see who it was. "It's Lauren Avery," Estella murmured, setting down the bottle and ladle and covering the potion. "I'll see what she needs."

She left the office and quickly made her way toward Lauren, who spotted her immediately and walked toward her. "I didn't know you'd be here," she said breathlessly. "I was trying to find you because I wanted to teach you a spell I think you'd find useful."

"Like what?" Estella frowned. "And why me?"

"Oh, it won't be just you," Lauren shrugged. "Megan and Guage are going to be there, and possibly a couple others. I'm going to be showing and teaching you all the differences between _Bombarda_ , _Confringo_ , and _Reducto_."

"Oh, awesome," Estella grinned. "When are we doing this?"

"Tomorrow night after supper," Lauren answered. "We're going to meet in the Slytherin Common Room, and I'll take you all to a safe practising area. We can't just use _Reducto_ in any old classroom."

"Right," the dark-haired girl laughed. "Well, I'll be there. It sounds like fun."

Lauren smirked. "Alvin will be there, and the Ravenclaw prefects in our year will be joining us to keep order. We can't allow this kind of spell to get out of control."

Estella nodded and returned to the office as Lauren left the Hospital Wing. "She just wanted me to meet her tomorrow night to learn a couple spells."

The matron motioned the girl to go back to bottling the potions, and Estella obeyed quickly, not saying anything else until the next person came into the Hospital Wing for assistance.

When Estella walked into the Common Room to find the small study group Lauren had promised, she was surprised to see Draco, Meris, Corin, and the Lestrange twins as well. "Hi," she greeted them.

Megan answered cheerfully in Parseltongue as Guage and Meris greeted the newcomer in English. "Ready to make things explode?" Meris asked her with a grin. "Again?"

"Properly?" Rohan smirked.

"Boy, I'm here for the explosions," she told him. "However they happen."

Draco raised an eyebrow at her. "Targets only, Parkington," he drawled. "Otherwise you'll be making a lot of extra work for yourself."

Estella shot him a wicked grin. "I wouldn't mind, actually. We have less work than usual at the moment," she shrugged.

Alvin laughed, turning to Lauren and asking, "Are we all ready now?"

"We're waiting on the two Ravenclaws," she sighed. "They might be waiting for us there, since I told them where to go."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Corin said eagerly. "Let's go!"

Lauren and Alvin looked at each other, then shrugged and led the way out of the Common Room. Estella was surprised that they all gathered outside the castle on the training grounds. The Ravenclaws were there already and had set up training dummies away from the castle.

The Ravenclaw boy called out to them, and Estella waved casually as Lauren answered. "Let me guess," thee prefect said. "We'll have to keep an eye on the Lestrange boys and Parkington here."

Alvin laughed. "The twins for sure, but I know that Estella at least tries to do things properly."

"I'll only hurt you by accident," Meris chuckled.

The two Ravenclaws turned to him, and the boy said, "Sometimes I forget you're a Lestrange."

"Ooh," Draco smirked, glancing at the oldest Lestrange. "A compliment, or insult?"

"Insult," Estella said without hesitation, and Meris looked at her incredulously before beginning to laugh.

"Parkington," Meris said, shaking his head with a grin, "why are you always ready for a fight?"

She shut her mouth, blushing in spite of herself. Megan grinned at her as well and answered for her. "She's her mother's daughter."

"Shall we begin?" Guage asked, seeing Estella get a faraway look in her eyes.

The prefects quickly organised them, putting Estella with Corin and Megan. "Obviously, these are destructive spells and whatnot," Alvin said as an introduction. "So don't misuse them."

"In our view at least," the Ravenclaw boy chuckled, receiving laughs form the others.

" _Bombarda_ and The Blasting Curse are very alike," Lauren cautioned them, "but _Bombarda_ has a shorter range and also explodes even if it does not reach a target. It can definitely be used as a distraction, but it's most commonly used as an unlocking spell when _Alohomora_ doesn't work."

The Ravenclaw girl stepped forward. "The Blasting Curse is extremely powerful and can even be deadly," she said. "But it has a much longer range and makes whatever it hits explode. The Reductor Curse is more exact. Its purpose is to shatter whatever it hits."

Alvin looked around at them all. "You are all here to learn the differences between between these and how to do them," he told them. "We have a couple hours, but it is really up to you how quickly you learn. You may leave whenever."

He turned to the Ravenclaw boy and nodded to him. "Artemis."

Artemis stepped forward and brandished his wand at the target. " **Bombarda!** "

The dummy wobbled, and there was a pause.

" **Confringo!** "

There was another pause.

" **Reducto**!"

The target wobbled wildly, and the Ravenclaw turned back to the students. "Any questions?"

"Are there protective charms on the dummies?" Rohan asked with a frown.

"Yes," Lauren answered. "These are special—not Auror-grade, of course, but they are really strong. If you don't do a spell correctly, the dummy won't even move an inch."

"Take turns," the Ravenclaw girl admonished them before walking over to Estella, Corin, and Megan. "Who wants to go first?"

Megan stepped up. "I will," she volunteered.

Estella watched as Megan managed to cast the Reductor Curse with seemingly no trouble, Corin grinning at his cousin and saying, "Well done" in Parseltongue. Estella grinned happily, listening carefully as the Ravenclaw girl explained to them how to perform the Blasting Curse.

"Okay," Megan nodded after a moment, altering her stance and raising her wand. " **Confringo!** "

"Almost," the prefect told her. "You need a bit more concentration."

Just out of the corner of her eye, Estella saw Draco facing one of the dummies and giggled, "Yesss, Megan, don't be dissstracted by darling Malfoy."

Megan hissed, "Curssse you, Parkington," without turning from the Ravenclaw.

Corin and Estella glanced at each other behind the prefect's back and laughed at their red-haired cousin. "Estella, isn't it?"

Estella jumped in surprise, startling the bitemates into hissing uncomfortably as the Ravenclaw girl addressed her. "Yeah," she nodded. "That's me." She could feel her mother's amusement and wondered to herself if her mother had anything else to do other than watch her live her life.

"Your turn," the girl said, motioning her forward. "Come on."

The dark-haired witch stepped forward and raised her wand, saying, "Okay... **Bombarda**!" She felt the spell zoom through her wand and across the few meters to hit one of the dummies and explode with a loud bang.

Someone yelped and a spell came flying through the air toward Corin and Megan, the Ravenclaw girl quickly catching it with a " **Protego**!" To everyone's shock, the awry spell shattered the shield and the girl fell to the ground, yelling in pain as she curled up, her arm obviously broken from the force of the spell.

Estella stared as Alvin halted the practise session, Lauren running to the girl's side. Tears were streaming down the Ravenclaws face as they all just watched. "I don't know," Lauren said after a moment, getting to her feet. "There's too much damage: I don't think my spells can heal her."

Something clicked inside Estella's mind, and she rushed forward to the fallen Ravenclaw, her wand drawn. "You're going to be fine," she told her, then began to assess the damage. She was able to clear and heal the crushed and broken bones while cleaning up the blood. The girl was quieting under her care, though she had yelped when her bones had been fixed.

The others were just watching in shock as she quickly finished up, murmuring a spell to close the skin and repair the robes. "You've got to get on up to the Hospital Wing," she said briskly. "We'll have to take you."

"I—I think I'm okay now," the girl said, sitting up gingerly.

Estella shook her head. "No, you've got to go see Madam Pomfrey so she can make sure everything is all right, then give you a potion to strengthen you and keep you from getting an infection."

"Oh." The girl carefully got to her feet, and Estella fell in step beside her on the way up to the castle. "So, you know a lot about Healing already, I guess?"

"If they're just flesh wounds and broken bones, they're easy enough to take care of," Estella replied, looking over at the girl. "It's when someone's been cursed, especially with multiple curses, that it's a bit more difficult to sort them out."

"I see," the girl said, shaking her head. "You know, some people didn't think you should be allowed to assist Madam Pomfrey, but I think you're okay."

"Thanks," Estella blushed. "I guess there hasn't been an assistant to her for quite a while."

"The last one was Sirius Black's brother Regulus," the girl told her. "He was only there for a year before Sirius was disowned, and his brother gave up the apprenticeship."

"Sirius Black was probably a terribly brother," Estella scowled. "I'd be so angry if my brothers destroyed my chance to become something good in life." She frowned slightly and added, "I am surprised that one of the House of Black would even try to become a Healer."

The Ravenclaw girl began to giggle. "Right," she said. "For one of the darkest families, that surely is unusual. But Regulus Black is dead anyway, so it didn't help him at all."

Estella couldn't help but be stunned at the careless words of her companion, and only recalled Narcissa telling her that Regulus had died at the hands of the Dark Lord because he had fallen out of favour. "You know," she began thoughtfully, "I've had a couple people tell me that Regulus was actually a very decent boy and that he only died because he displeased He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Oh dear," the girl breathed. "Well, that's awful, if it is true."

"Yes," Estella murmured, thinking of Narcissa's expression as she spoke about her cousin. She was relieved when they arrive at the Hospital Wing and quickly explained the situation to Madam Pomfrey, leaving the girl in her capable hands. She really didn't want to go back to the training grounds, but she made her way back and rejoined the group, reassuring them that the injured girl would be fine.

Corin motioned Estella back over and told her, "Megan'sss got all the spellsss; she'sss just working with me right now. You've only got the two left, right?"

"Yeah," Estella shrugged. "I think I could get them easily enough, though."

"Let'sss you have a go at it, then," Corin suggested.

Megan stood slightly behind Estella and coached her through the two spells until she triumphantly cast the Blasting Curse at their target. "Very good," Megan said proudly. "I knew you'd get it."

The three turned to see Lauren approaching, and the blonde witch said, "I didn't hear any talking over here...is everything going all right? You all know what you're doing?"

"Yes," Corin answered. "I'm the only one that hasn't done it properly yet, but we're working on it now."

"Okay," Lauren said with a frowned. "How are you improving if you're not discussing what you're doing?"

"We were speaking Parseltongue," Megan told Lauren, who then looked slightly taken aback. "We were helping him."

Lauren nodded, then turned and left them alone. It didn't take Corin too long after that to do the spells, and Estella found herself walking back to the castle with the two Sages. They didn't really talk to each other, and Estella went directly to her bed in the dormitory, climbing up to sit behind her curtains and hidden away in her ward.

She lay there for a little while, then casually thought, "Mum? Do you think you and I could have a chat about our mental bridging powers next week?"

"Of course," Meretta answered almost immediately. "I don't seem to have anything else on my schedule."

"Okay," Estella agreed. "I've just got my project to finish up this week and then I'll be ready to talk."

"Good," Meretta said. "I'll look forward to it."


	35. Outcome of the Third Task

**With this rather large chapter, I wrap up Tom and Ginny and the Goblet of Fire. I have run into a problem, however. I am taking Tom out of this story (I am presently editing him out before I re-upload the previous stories/chapter) because I have no use for him and he is just becoming a problem. As of right now, he died with the journal and he WAS the Dark Lord (he's just a liar, which means a TON of editing in the first two T/G).**

 **Anyway, I'm hyped for T/G Order of the Phoenix, but I've got to make a list of ideas to start out with because there's so much I want to incorporate and I have to make sure it's in order.**

 **If you've got this far with me, thank you so much for sticking around. I'm traveling on, I swear xD I will finish this series.**

 **Thank you once again,**

 **Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

"Class dismissed. Do not forget to study for Monday's quiz."

Estella shut her Transfiguration book and placed it in her bag, getting to her feet. She had barely escaped the room when she heard someone call her name and turned to see who it was.

"Ssstel," Megan Sage hissed with a grin, hurrying toward her, "I've got sssomething to show you."

"I'm off to the Hospital Wing," Estella answered her regretfully. "I have a shift tonight."

"Oh." Megan frowned for a moment before her smile returned. "Then you can sssee tonight," she continued. "Sssisha laid her clutch."

Estella gasped, her eyes lighting up. "Oh good!" she said excitedly. "I am going to the Chamber later tonight anyway, probably around ten. I'll have to stop and see."

Megan nodded. "I'll be there. Good luck at the Hospital Wing."

"Thanks," Estella laughed, then turned and hurried away.

* * *

When Estella went to the Chamber later that night, she was greeted by her mother alone. She went to speak, but Meretta interrupted. "I know you're going to meet that Sage girl here, so why don't you do that first. I'll be in my room; meet me there when you're finished."

"Okay," Estella answered, surprised. "Thanks, Mum."

She walked quickly to the second sand room, letting her presence be known before she opened the door and entered the room. Megan looked up from her seat in the sand and hissed, "Come sssee!"

Estella quickly approached, and knelt next to Megan, seeing the nest of eggs close by. "Oooh," she said thoughtfully. "How long will it be before they hatch?"

Megan glanced at her, a look of amusement on her face. "Two years," she replied.

"What?" Estella asked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes," Megan laughed. "These things don't happen overnight, Parkington. That's why Dad and I thought the sooner this happened, the better."

"That's probably true," Estella nodded. "So what do you do in the mean time?"

"Keep an eye on Sisha and her clutch," the redhead said, smiling as she stroked her serpent affectionately. "Make sure the eggs stay the right temperature and that nothing disturbs them."

Estella smiled at Megan and the Sage basilisk proudly, then said, "I do have to run along. My mother is expecting me to meet her soon."

Megan gave a little wave, and Estella giggled, getting to her feet and leaving the room. She quickly met up with her mother in her parents' room, and Meretta motioned the girl to sit across from her. "So, how did today go?" Meretta asked her, smirking. "Don't use spoken words to answer me."

Estella sat down in her chair, tilting her head and looking at her mother in slight confusion. Meretta raised an eyebrow. "Haven't you connected minds before, Estella? I know you've done some thought projection…."

"Well, isn't that different?" Estella asked with a frown.

"Yes," Meretta shrugged. "Thought projection is just a connection for a short while to plant an idea or phrase in someone else's mind. The sort of connection we want will be open, allowing thoughts to flow back and forth. You know I do it sometimes to warn you or tell you something."

"Yes," the girl murmured, looking down at the floor. "I've done it several times to different people...Percy, Bill...even Lucius."

"Lucius?" Meretta outright giggled at this. "Well, he hates me for these powers. I used to put awful ideas in his head all the time. It takes a very specific form of Occlumency to be able to keep our powers out, Estella. Thought projection doesn't require mind penetration."

"And what about mind bridging?" Estella questioned.

Meretta looked seriously at her daughter. "It either has to be done willingly, or the one who does it has to have strong Legilimency. It's very difficult to keep a connection with someone who is actively fighting it. Once the connection is established, each person's Occlumency and intent control which thoughts go back and forth."

The girl nodded, and Meretta looked at her expectantly. With a sigh, Estella tried to concentrate on connecting to her mother's mind. It surprised her, when after a moment, she felt someone else at the fingertips of her mind, and she frowned slightly, losing the connection.

Meretta was laughing. "I only heard 'what am I doing?'" she told Estella. "Sorry I laughed. Try again." Estella took a deep breath and tried to concentrate.

Nearly an hour later, Estella sat wearily on the same chair and stared at the floor, her eyes closed as she wordlessly told her mother how her day had gone. _I saw Megan this morning, and she told me about the bitemates. Classes were fine, but we've got exams coming up, and I promise Stanley that I'd study for Defense with him. My shift at the Hospital Wing was fine. I can do the normal rounds by myself now because I know how to do Healing Charms and give the patients potions and things. But now I'm tired and all I want to do is go to sleep._

Meretta nodded, closing their connection, and Estella looked up. "I don't want us connected all the time," she said. "I don't think that's a wise idea, although it might make you behave better."

"No one can make me behave," Estella told her mother with a small smile.

Both of them looked up suddenly when there was a tap on the door, and the sound of an owl hooting came from the other side. Estella frowned. "You don't have owls down here, do you, Mum?"

"No," Meretta answered. "Stand back." She drew her wand and pointed it at the door, her daughter scrambling to get away from it. The door banged opened and Meretta flung a spell at the disturbance outside.

The hooting stopped.

Meretta raised her wand again at another movement in the smoke, and someone yelled, "Meretta, it's just me! It's okay!"

Meretta paused, and Reginald stepped through the smoke. "An owl came down through the forest entrance," the man said, glancing at the bird now frozen in mid-air. "It's got a letter—this is ridiculous. Who would send something to us here? It isn't safe."

"It isn't for you," Estella sighed, walking forward. "That's Percy's owl...poor thing."

The woman smirked and flicked her wand, the bird colliding straight into Estella's chest. "There you are," she laughed. "What does the letter say?"

Estella took the letter from the owl, which was now hooting in indignation, and walked to the door as one of the bitemates hissed excitedly, " _Hisssusss?_ "

The girl giggled and raised her hands, sending the bird off to Percy. "No, bitematesss," she said, turning back to her parents as the bitemates hissed in disappointment. Closing the door behind her, she opened the letter.

 _To my sister Estella_ :

 _How have you been doing? I miss being around you, even though we've been ever so busy at the office with the Tournament and all. It's been very difficult around here lately...with Mr. Crouch's disappearance and all. There's been an inquiry and everything—they think I should have known something. Should I have? He sent me orders via Owl: who am I to question that? I don't know what's going to happen, but I hope I don't get fired. This whole ordeal is ridiculous._

 _I hope everything's been going well for you and your friends. Keep up with your studies, and be careful._

 _Oh, I also met Callistra Lestrange the other day. She came to the Ministry to get permission to see her husband in Azkaban, I think. I don't know what happened with that, but I'll just say that's she's a very interesting woman. A very unlikely Lestrange, if I may say so._

 _I'll see you at the Third Task, Stel._

 _Your brother,_

 _Percy Weasley_

"He still calls himself your brother," Meretta scowled.

"I've grown up with him," Estella murmured, folding the letter. "I've stopped Fred and George from pestering him many times, and he's done his best to protect me. I think he has a small right to consider me 'little sister.'"

"Do you think they'll fire him?" Meretta questioned with a smirk. "He was rather close to Mr. Crouch, I suppose."

Estella frowned. "Percy likes to make it appear that way, but it isn't true," she said. "He's only a junior secretary or something like that." Reginald nodded thoughtfully, and Estella added fiercely, "They'd better not fire him. It's not his fault."

Reginald slipped his arm around her loosely and said, "They don't even know what happened to him. I'm sure it'll be fine."

She nodded, then slipped her other arm around him and hugged him. "Thanks. I've got to go up and do some work now. I have some extra things to do for Madam Pomfrey, and I've got to get my homework done...exams are not going to be fun."

Meretta nodded feelingly, and Estella grinned, going to hug her mother tightly as well. "I love you," she said. "I'll see you later, but I'm going to be busy with exams, I think."

"We'll check up on you once in a while," Reginald told her, the three leaving the room together. "Just to make sure you're all right."

Estella nodded, hugging them both tightly once again before hurrying across the main room of the Chamber and disappearing down one of the corridors.

* * *

The morning of the First Task, Estella woke up early and crumbled her ward to hear every girl in the room stop talking immediately. Brianna looked at her worriedly, but Samantha grinned in glee. "Estella! Guess what?!"

"What?" Estella said with a yawn, rolling over onto her stomach and letting her arm flop off the edge of her bed.

"No, girls, she hasn't got to know," Megan sighed. "You know it won't end well."

"Oh come off it, Sage," Riker said, rolling her eyes. "She'll find out eventually, anyway."

"Find out what?" Estella frowned, finally sitting up and rubbing her eyes as her bitemates hissed sluggishly, stirring to their places on her body.

Megan sank down onto the bed opposite Estella. "Draco's gone and fed Rita Skeeter more...information," she told her. "It's awful—please don't look at it."

Estella yawned again, ducking as Samantha threw a paper at her. "Read!" she trilled happily.

The sleepy girl grasped the paper and, in spite of Megan's slight whimper, began to read.

 **Harry Potter: Disturbed and Dangerous**

 _The boy who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is unstable and possibly dangerous,_ writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. _Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter's strange behaviour, which casts doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Tournament, or even to attend Hogwarts School._

 _Potter, the_ Daily Prophet _can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school, and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead (relic of the curse with which You-Know-Who attempted to kill him). On Monday last, midway through a Divination lesson, your_ Daily Prophet _reporter witnessed Potter storming from the class, claiming that his scar was hurting too badly to continue studying._

Estella laughed at this, but Riker motioned her to keep reading. "It gets better," she said.

 _It is possible_ , say top experts at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, _that Potter's brain was affected by the attack inflicted upon him by You-Know-Who, and that his insistence that his scar is still hurting is an expression of his deep-seated confusion._

 _"He might even be pretending," said one specialist. "This could be a plea for attention."_

"Attention?" Estella spat. "He's not like that! He barely remembers it: how could it affect him mentally?"

"Estella," Megan said, reaching for the paper, "don't read anymore."

"No!" Estella snapped, snatching it back. "I will see it!"

 _The_ Daily Prophet, _however, has unearthed worrying facts about Harry Potter that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, has carefully concealed from the wizarding public._

 _"Potter can speak Parseltongue," reveals Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts fourth year. "There were a lot of attacks on students a couple years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a dueling club and set a snake on another boy. It was all hushed up, though. But he's made friends with werewolves and giants too. We think he'd do anything for power."_

Estella tensed in fury. "That IS NOT what happened!" she almost yelled, making Guage jump in shock, having just come back from the bathroom. Megan just put her head in her hands, ready for the worst as Estella continued to read in spite of the infuriated expression on her features.

 _Parseltongue, the ability to converse with snakes, has long been considered a Dark Art. Indeed, the most famous Parselmouth of our times is none other than You-Know-Who himself. A member of the Dark Force Defense League, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that he would regard any wizard who could speak Parseltongue "as worthy of investigation. Personally, I would be highly suspicious of anybody who could converse with snakes, as serpents are often used in the worst kinds of Dark Magic, and are historically associated with evildoers." Similarly, "anyone who seeks out the company of such vicious creatures as werewolves and giants would appear to have a fondness for violence."_

 _Albus Dumbledore should surely consider whether a boy such as this should be allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Some fear that Potter might resort to the Dark Arts in his desperation to win the tournament, the third task of which takes place this evening._

Estella threw the paper across the room as hard as she could, pages of the _Prophet_ flying everywhere. "Who does that _little shit_ think he is?" she half screeched, getting to her feet immediately. She snatched her wand up and dashed from the room, ignoring Megan's frightened yelp of "Estella, no!"

She burst out the dormitory door into the Common Room, finding Draco just getting ready to leave for the Great Hall with Crabbe and Goyle. "Malfoy!" she shrieked, her wand out as she yelled his name, waiting for him to turn toward her.

"Parkington," the blonde boy smirked. "Read my quote in the paper, have you?"

"You're _hisssusss_ ," Estella hissed, all of her bitemates slithering into their aggressive, visible positions.

"Leave him alone!" Megan said warningly from behind her.

"What's going on?" asked several students, all sleepy and annoyed at the commotion.

Estella flung a spell across the room at the boy, and Crabbe and Goyle rushed away from her target, leaving Draco to toss his notes down and draw his own wand as he dodged the spell. "What is your problem?" he demanded, his face slightly flushed with anger as he faced her, his smirk gone.

She did not reply, trying yet again to curse him as everyone gave them a wide berth, Megan looking torn as she stared between the two. Lauren came rushing down the girls' dormitory stairs and breathed, "What—what's going on?"

"We are not innately evil!" Estella growled at Draco. "Killers aren't born; they're made. Serpents are intelligent creatures who flourish with familiars that understand them. And _Harry Potter_ is NOT one of us! He was an accident! The gift of Parseltongue was imprinted on him at the Accident—the Dark Lord himself told me first year!"

"It seems you're the unstable one, between you and Potter," Draco smirked, stepping aside of a curse that Lauren then blocked. "Gone all fuzzy, Parkington? Must be difficult to be raised by Weasleys when you're a great _Dark Witch_."

Fury rose in Estella, but she kept silent as she steadied her wand, thinking, _Just as mother taught me: stab and flow_. The Cruciatus Curse sang through her body and across the room as Megan yelled, "Estella, no!"

The spell crashed through Draco's weak shield and hit him straight in the chest, knocking him backward onto the floor of the Common Room as he let out yells of pain. _Let the power flow, let the power flow_ , chanted through her mind as she held the Curse, nothing else breaking through her concentration until she felt a spell hit her in the back and she collapsed to her knees. She looked up as her spell faltered and gritted her teeth, trying to strengthen it.

"Estella, stop it." Lauren's dead serious voice broke through her mind, but she ignored it. She wanted Draco to suffer for the stupid things he'd said about her and her family, and for the simple fact that she was not entirely sure she was sane, as Draco had said.

"Estella," someone murmured, and she felt a hand on her shoulder, gentle magic crackling in his touch. Her Curse died immediately, and he said quietly, "Go put on a decent robe, then come back down here. We're going to breakfast." He released the hex that was on her, and she got to her feet, turning to see that it was indeed Meris before she walked across the Common Room and went back upstairs just as he had said.

She came back downstairs to find Meris standing with his arms crossed, waiting for her with a frown on his face. She frowned too, but at that moment, Lauren said, "Estella, I want to talk to you."

"No," Estella said simply. "I'm going to breakfast." She fell in step with Meris, the two crossing the room and leaving the others behind.

"The twins are meeting us in the Great Hall," Meris said. "Got an exam this morning?"

"Ancient Runes," Estella answered, taking a deep breath as they left the dungeons and walked across the Entrance Hall and through the doors into the Great Hall.

"Morning," Meris said to his cousins as they sat down with them. "We've all got Defense this morning."

Estella nodded sympathetically, sighing and placing her chin on her hand. "I'm still tired," she said. "And I got sleep."

Karntaan nodded knowingly. "It's the Curse you did," he told her. "Strong magic will take the energy out of you if you don't have the magical stamina."

"Oh, I have to practise on him?" Estella giggled, looking between the three boys. "Okay."

Meris shook his head with a laugh. "You know," he said to them, "the year's almost over, but next year we should practise dueling and curses next year so that we can all get stronger."

"Yes!" the other three agreed happily at the same time, even more thrilled as breakfast appeared on the tables.

"We can work it out on the train home or even on the way here next year," Rohan said. "I have too much to keep track of with exams to think about anything else. We've got History of Magic after lunch, and I am _not_ looking forward to it."

"Do you have an exam in your apprenticeship?" Meris asked Estella curiously, pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice.

"She's going to watch me do the rounds tomorrow night and see how I do," the girl answered. "She's seen me before, but I'm going to do it all by myself."

"Should we send you some victims?" Rohan grinned at the same time Karntaan said, "So you want Malfoy to be one of your patients?"

Estella rolled her eyes. "Please," she said. "I have full confidence that Lauren can patch him up. I—" She stopped talking, having seen two very familiar people enter the Great Hall. "No!" she breathed.

Meris glanced toward the doors, then said, "She won't know you, Estella. It'll be fine: they're probably here to be Potter's 'family.'"

"They're more his than they are mine," she said bitterly, and Rohan looked her straight in the eye.

"Then you don't need them," he told her. "They don't care; they're not important."

"I hate her," Estella whispered, forcing herself not to shrink down in her seat as Bill and Molly Weasley walked between the house tables down to the little side room and disappeared into it. She breathed a soft sigh of relief, then saw Malfoy walk into the Great Hall, seemingly in a small bit of pain still.

She turned away from him with a victorious grin. "Yesss!" she hissed happily, complete joy on her face. She didn't pay attention when the others came in, but ate hurriedly, wanting to be on her way to class.

As they all rose to leave, Meris grasped her sleeve and said, "Are you going to be all right?"

Estella smiled. "Yeah, thanks," she said to him.

He leaned close to her and murmured, "Next time, be more subtle. Don't do something like that in the Common Room."

"I can't promise, but I'll try," she told the boy, who sighed and shook his head. She grinned, then reached out and hugged him firmly before turning and leaving to go to her exam.

* * *

When she returned to the Great Hall later that afternoon, she was disturbed to see Molly at the Gryffindor House table with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the Weasley twins. Estella turned away from them quickly, walking to the Slytherin table and sitting between Karntaan and Theo.

"Parkington," Theo mused, looking at her in admiration. "You really had some intent behind that Curse."

She shrugged, glancing from him to the Lestrange twins. "Where's Meris?" she demanded of them.

"Moody kept him," Karntaan answered with a frown. "We don't know what he wanted."

"Oh Merlin," Estella breathed. "I hope he's okay."

"He'll be fine," Rohan shrugged. "He's the best of us, you know. The innocent little boy."

Theo smirked at this statement, but Estella nodded hopefully. Sure enough, Meris entered the Great Hall a little while later and walked straight over to them, Karntaan scooting closer to his brother to make room for their cousin. "What happened?" Rohan asked him almost immediately.

Meris shook his head in confusion. "He gave me a message for Estella. I don't know how he knew—Stel, he said for me to tell you to be careful or you'll end up...like Aunt Bellatrix."

"How he knew...what?" Karnt said, a strange expression on his face.

"He knew what she did this morning," Meris said quietly, shaking his head in wonder. "I don't understand it. Maybe he was watching us, maybe he used Legilimency, I don't know. But he knew."

"We need to get rid of him," Estella said with conviction. "He's been fun, but he's got to go." All the boys laughed, and she grinned. "I am flattered he'd think that of me, that I could ever be like Bellatrix."

"Well, I see the possibilities, if what people say about her is true," Meris answered. "Estella can be dangerous, and she's still fairly young."

"Do you think I'm unstable?" Estella questioned them suddenly.

Rohan raised an eyebrow. "No more than any of us," he told her.

Estella rolled her eyes. "That's hardly reassuring, Master Lestrange."

Karntaan laughed, but Meris said, "Sometimes I think you go to a very dark place in your mind, and you've got to be rescued from it. But you're usually very level-headed."

The twins looked at their cousin strangely, but Estella nodded, staring at Meris as if he'd said something she'd never thought of. After a few moments, she glanced across the Great Hall at the other house tables and scowled when she laid eyes on Potter surrounded by the Weasley Clan. Something touched her hand, and she startled slightly before realising it was Karntaan.

"Don't even look at them," he told her. "They're not your family; you haven't got to worry about it."

"I haven't got a family," Estella murmured, and Rohan rolled his eyes at the girl.

"Yes, you have," he said accusingly. "Perhaps it isn't the best situation, but you've got them, and you can talk to them whenever."

"It will be put to rights," Karntaan said firmly. "We will have our families back, Estella."

She nodded in agreement, then turned to her lunch and began to eat in silence, the boys following suit.

* * *

For the evening feast, Estella was taken aside by Megan and Guage and forced to sit between them. "You really should have listened to me," Megan hissed close to her ear as they sat down.

"Probably," Estella shrugged. "But I would have found out eventually. And now that it's over, everything is fine."

"Draco's going to come after you again!" Megan sputtered. "It's not fine!"

"Don't worry about me; worry about you," Estella replied, glancing up toward the staff table to see the added Ministry employees there. The Minister sat looking very gruff, and Bagman was cheerfully chattering to the professor beside him, despite his victim's bored expression.

 _Tell her she'll have more things to worry about before the end of the night,_ Meretta suddenly said to Estella, giggling in amusement at herself.

"After tonight," Estella said slowly, "I'm told there will be more important things to concern ourselves with, Megan."

"What do you mean?" Megan asked, frowning at her.

"I don't know," Estella admitted. "They won't tell me."

Megan then looked even more alarmed, and Estella added, "But perhaps you'll realise how petty Draco is and what really matters after whatever-it-is happens tonight."

The redhead just rolled her eyes at her friend. "I genuinely hope Cedric wins. He's been really strong the whole time, Potter's just lucky."

"Luck can only get you so far," Guage cautioned. "But Cedric is a bit too nice for his own good, you know."

"Yeah," Estella nodded and reached for another drumstick. "He's nice to me even though I lost his team that Quidditch match a year or two ago."

The girls agreed, settling down to eat and watch the others while commenting on how they thought the Task would go. None of them knew how it was, but they knew that the Champions had had a few hints as to the different obstacles they would face. They were excited to see what would happen by the time it was all over.

Estella stood near the judges as Bagman announced who would be entering the maze first. "The first one to the Triwizard Cup wins!" Bagman said.

Harry and Cedric set off into the maze first, then Krum, then Fleur, and everyone sat and watched in the darkening night, waiting. Estella felt uneasy as she stared at the hedges of the maze, wondering what was happening inside. She could feel her mother's excitement about something and worried about what it might be.

The bitemates seemed to know something as well, and Estella finally hissed, "Father, what isss happening?"

"Tonight isss the night, my daughter," Reginald Parkington answered firmly, but cut off almost immediately afterward.

"Watch the fun, dearie," Meretta admonished her daughter. "It won't be long now."

Estella did not ask any further questions, for at that moment, the audience saw red sparks, and everyone immediately began to talk about who they thought it was. It was not much later when Krum and Fleur were brought out of the maze by Professor McGonagall, the boy shaking his head when Karkaroff made to ask him what happened.

"Are you all right?" Estella asked Krum as he sidled away from his Headmaster. "You seem to be dazed slightly."

"There's someone in there that's out to get the Champions," Krum muttered. "He Stunned Fleur and then got me...turned me against the other two, but one of them stunned me and sent the sparks."

Estella frowned, turning to the maze again. She felt very strange about it all, and even more wished that she knew what was going on. The feeling of magic against a ward pressed upon her mind, and she wondered about it for an instant before her father told her, _That's Potter leaving the Hogwarts wards. He will die_.

 _NO!_ was her instant thought, the girl suddenly terrified about what was taking place.

"Estella?" someone asked, and she turned to see Lauren approaching her. "Are you all right? You look pale."

"I just hope everyone's okay," she murmured. "I have a really awful feeling about this."

"I do too," Lauren sighed, walking over and standing beside her.

Seconds later, Estella felt her mother's exultation as the witch breathed, _He has returned._

Estella glanced at Lauren, carefully linking their minds before she whispered, _The Dark Lord has risen again...my parents have returned to him._

"How?" Lauren said in disbelief.

 _I don't know,_ Estella replied silently, turning to the maze. _But Potter's no longer within Hogwarts, and mother said that her Mark is back to full power._

Lauren went to say something else, but at that moment, two people appeared at the edge of the maze, one of them clutching the Triwizard Cup. "Harry's got it!" Estella yelled, just before realising that Harry was also holding onto Cedric Diggory, who was as limp as a rag doll.

It was only seconds before the Minister said in shock, "Dumbledore, Cedric Diggory is dead!"

Chaos ensued. Potter had to be pried off of Cedric as girls in the crowd began to scream and cry, realising something had gone terribly wrong. Cedric's parents were marching down the stairs in shock and disbelief, unsure what they were seeing.

"Essstella!"

The girl jumped in shock as her father's voice came to her through the bitemates. "Father?" she breathed, her chest rising and falling rapidly as the death of Cedric Diggory sank into her mind. "Cedric's dead!"

Reginald Parkington did not even respond to this. "Moody is an imposter. Keep an eye out for those that may discover him."

"Wha—what?" Estella gasped and felt Lauren's arm around her shoulders. She looked up to see Moody helping Harry walk away into the castle. "He's taking Harry up into the castle. Dumbledore's watching him."

"Listen to me, Estella," Reginald said firmly. "Go down to the Security Room _now_."

"Dad?" Estella nearly whimpered, staring at Cedric's body before her. "It's happening, isn't it?"

"It's happened," the man answered. "Quickly, sssweetling, go to the Chamber."

Estella pulled away from Lauren and rushed away from the Quidditch stands, pelting up toward the castle. It did not take long for her to reach the Chamber entrance, and she impatiently hissed it open, running down the passage toward the Security Room.

"Harry Potter," Estella blurted out to the room in Parseltongue. "Right now."

The room immediately changed to MadEye's office, Harry sitting in a chair drinking a potion and still looking dazed. It didn't take long for it to become obvious that whoever was there with Harry, he was not an ex-Auror and friend of Dumbledore.

"Who isss that?" Estella asked in concern. "—oh dear, Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall are on their way, I can see them in the Foe Glass."

Before Reginald could say another word, the door to MadEye's office splintered and Estella shrieked and ducked instinctively as the three professors broke down the door and Stunned the imposter. She sat down against the wall, staring in shock at the look of fury on Dumbledore's face. Dumbledore sent Snape for his best bit of Veritaserum, and while Snape was gone, the appearance of Moody dissolved into someone else altogether.

"Junior!" Estella exclaimed in shock. "But he's supposed to be dead!"

"So you know him," her father said in amusement. "He's got to escape from Hogwarts and come back to us."

"He'll need help," Estella said with a small wince as Snape and McGonagall entered the room once again.

The house-elf McGonagall had brought with her let out a shriek and jumped on the fair-haired man, crying his name. "Perfect," Reginald said firmly. "Essstella. Leave two of the bitematesss in that room so we can continue to see what isss happening with Junior. Go close to that room and have one of the bitematesss go to the elf. House elves can understand serpents a little. Have the serpent tell the elf that it isss a friend of the _sissshausss_ and that we can help her massster."

Estella nodded, hissing two of her bitemates to the ground and rushing out of the room. She opened herself to her serpents more, able to see what was happening in the room as she hurried back along the passageways before exiting the Chamber and walking quickly along the corridors of Hogwarts. She released Tishri to go to the elf, then bided her time in a nearby room, waiting for the professors to be done with the questioning as she and her father tried to decide what to do.

"Winky cannot take him outside of the wards," Reginald told Estella. "But you cannot come straight through the wards to us, or you can be traced…."

"I have to apparate him through the wards?" Estella breathed, almost panicked once again.

"Yesss," her father answered. "We'll try to time it right: you'll have to apparate through the wards, and then he will take over the apparition, answering to his Mark, and you will arrive here."

"I need to cross-apparate," Estella realised suddenly. "To places no one will see me before I leave the wards. Okay." She quickly planned four or five places in her mind, feeling her mother's approval as Meretta connected their minds again.

 _He will be difficult to control_ , Meretta warned her. _Do not give him time to gather his wits about him when the elf apparates to you with him. Grab him and leave. You will feel in his magic when he is being Summoned._

"Leave the wards from the Chamber," Reginald told his daughter. "It will be the safest thing to do. Besides, if he gets away from you, he can't run too far in the Chamber. Just do not let him break away from you: he will not trust you at all."

"Great," Estella sighed, biting her lip. "I think I need to get a little further away from them before this happens, though."

"They're nearly done," Reginald said. "His story is nearly over. Poor boy, being all drugged up like that."

Meretta's amusement was clear to Estella, but the girl also knew that both her parents were worried about the outcome of the mission. _Do not get caught_ , Meretta told her daughter threateningly. _You will not get a second chance, and neither will he_.

The moment Snape and Dumbledore left Moody's office, Reginald told her, "Do it now, Essstella."

Estella swallowed hard, then hissed, "Tishri, the time isss now."

She felt Tishri communicating to the house elf, and drew her wand as she felt a cold, awful presence taking over her surroundings. "No!" she yelped, forcing herself to focus before waving her wand. " **Expecto Patronum**!"

In the next second, her serpent Patronus had gone from the room, and someone shouted from down the hall. With a loud pop, Winky and Junior appeared, and Estella whirled around and latched onto the man's arm, disapparating immediately.

The third or fourth time she apparated, she felt an excruciating pain all over her body and was barely able to continue to the next two places. The instant she felt a change in the man's magic, she disapparated through the Hogwarts wards and felt him take over the apparition instantly.

She fell upon soft earth, rolling over as he scrambled to his feet and wandlessly flung a curse at her. "—the hell?!" she yelled at him, throwing herself out of the way. "I rescued—idiot boy!"

"Barty..."

The blonde man turned and immediately fell to his knees. "My Lord," he breathed in awe.

Estella looked up from her seat on the ground, suddenly filled with fear and awe as she stared at the man her parents had sworn to serve. "Estella!" her mother hissed, and the girl scrambled to her feet and quickly joined her parents.

This brought back memories of times long ago when she had seen her parents in their masks. She knew exactly which two of the masked Death Eaters she belonged to, and stood there between them, her father's hand on her shoulder. "He cursed you," Reginald murmured, but Estella did not react, still staring at Lord Voldemort.

Power emanated from him, his pale snake-like face shining in the moonlight. His long, thin fingers delicately gripped his wand as he addressed the faithful servant that had been the key to his return. "Your reward will be great, as promised," he said softly.

Estella noticed an unmasked Death Eater kneeling in a gap of missing Death Eaters, his gaze directed at the Dark Lord and Barty Crouch. The girl drew a breath of shock. She recognised him by his eyes: it was the same man she'd seen at the Quidditch World Cup with the two boys that had sung and danced with her. The man seemed to have suffered a Curse or two...who was he?

At that moment, the Dark Lord turned to another wizard. "Shall we go to your home, Lucius?"

"As you wish," came the immediate reply, and Estella couldn't help but grin wickedly at the sound of Lucius Malfoy's voice.

Estella barely breathed as the Dark Lord named off those he wanted to go on to Malfoy Manor, then turned to her and her parents. She couldn't do anything but stare at him, and even though she wanted to say something, she knew it was far better to keep silent.

"My Lord?" Meretta murmured, unsure what he wanted from them.

"This is your daughter?" he said thoughtfully. "She is very much like her mother." Meretta beamed with pride, and Estella blushed at the words, her heart pounding in her chest.

"I'm a mixture of both," she piped up before she could stop herself.

"With hisss Parssseltongue," the Dark Lord said in delight. "Well, well. How are the Parkington serpents?"

"None of the old clutch survived the Auror attacks," Reginald replied quietly. "This is Tabashi's second clutch. Tabashi is dead. Estella is the Primary Serpent Keeper, and I have been helping her train the bitemates."

The Dark Lord seemed displeased at this, and questioned, "How did she manage that under your care, Reginald?"

There was a pause before the man replied, "I left Tabashi in the ancient tomb in Egypt, and Estella found the new clutch and was bonded to them before I even knew she had them. Tabashi died soon after she took the others from the tomb."

Estella raised her head and said, "I was on holiday with my adopted family and was drawn to the ancient tomb. They nearly attacked us, but I managed to stop them, then took them all with me. I did not know what I was doing."

"You did not raise her?" the Dark Lord said in slight surprise.

The girl flushed in embarrassment. "I was raised by Arthur and Molly Weasley," she murmured. "Because of things that went on in their home, Molly put Memory Charms on me and I didn't learn that I am Estella Parkington until first year. Most people know me as Ginny Weasley."

Lord Voldemort eyed her for a moment. "Yet you so willingly assisted your father in rescuing Barty Crouch?"

"Of course," Estella answered firmly. "It would have been a shame to lose him."

She must have made a face, because the Dark Lord laughed, a cold, high sound. "I am glad you agree, child. Perhaps there will be a place in the circle for you one day."

Estella chilled to her very core, her bitemates hissing wordlessly. The only thing she could say was, "I would be honoured."

The Dark Lord disapparated, leaving the three Parkingtons alone together, and Reginald immediately wrapped his arms around his daughter and pulled her close. "I am _very_ proud of you," he murmured in her ear. "You performed very well today."

The girl shuddered, clinging to her father. "I'm scared," she breathed.

"It's usually terrifying to be in the circle," he told her honestly. "All you can do is—as you yourself have said—make sure we do nothing the Dark Lord disapproves of and follow his orders explicitly."

"Everything's going to change," Estella said in a muffled voice.

"We expected that," Reginald said gently. "Meretta, come here. We've got to go back to the Chamber. It isn't safe out here without the others."

"I can't wait until we don't have to hide anymore," Meretta grumbled, reaching out and slipping her arm around her husband. "I hate it."

Reginald squeezed her slightly, pressing his lips to her cheek. "I know," he said quietly before disapparating with the two of them.

When they appeared, Estella sighed in relief, and Meretta immediately turned and walked away. "Where are you going?" Estella called after her.

"To sit down," Meretta answered. "Come join me, both of you."

"Let me pick up the other two bitemates first," Estella answered, hurrying off.

The moment she came back, Reginald asked, "How do you feel after that Curse?"

She looked up at her father and smiled slightly. "It was the least of my worries, but I ache all over now."

"Let's go sit with your mother and I'll heal you," he told her, guiding her toward the room.

"Wait," Estella said quickly. "Who was that man that was kneeling unmasked on the ground?"

Her father regarded her for a moment, then answered, "That was Regulus Arcturus Black. He was also thought to be dead, but apparently he went into hiding because he was afraid of the outcome of the war. Your mother called him a coward; I don't know what to think about him."

"I've seen him before," Estella breathed. "He's got a wife and two sons, Dad. I saw them last summer at the Quidditch World Cup."

"You did?" Reginald said in surprise. "Well. He'd better make all the right decisions from now on if he wants himself and his family to live through the year. Come along, dear." And he led her to where her mother had gone.

Estella sat down next to her mother and Reginald drew his wand, beginning to heal her. "Fairly strong Curse," he mused. "He Cursed you in the middle of apparating?"

"Yeah," Estella sighed, lifting her hand and stroking Icythan gently. "I—I need to go back to the surface and report to Madam Pomfrey for my shift tonight. But I don't know how to be normal anymore."

"She'll probably just dismiss you," Meretta rolled her eyes. "After all, Potter's probably there, and no one will be allowed around him."

"Yeah, Dumbledore will be protecting him," Estella agreed. "Well, I'll have to go see." The girl moved to get up, but her parents both grabbed her in a hug at the same time, laughing at each other. "I love you," Estella told them, hugging them firmly.

"Love you too," they said as one, and let her go.

Meretta looked at her carefully. "You do understand that anything you do now reflects on us twice as much, Estella?"

The girl nodded seriously. "I will be very careful, Mother," she promised. She turned and walked away from them, leaving the Chamber and walking toward the Hospital Wing.

Her head was swirling with what had just taken place, and she stopped for a second to put on her Ginny Weasley appearance before continuing to the Hospital Wing. She quietly entered and walked toward the office, but Madam Pomfrey met her quickly, saying, "In light of what has happened today, you have the rest of the year off, dearie."

Estella nodded slightly, ready to turn and go to the Slytherin dungeons when someone called, "Ginny!" She turned to see Bill Weasley stepping out of a private ward in the very back of the Hospital Wing.

"Bill!" she said, then ran to him and threw her arms around him. "He's back," she whispered, clinging to him for an instant.

"We know," Bill murmured. "Come sit with us. We're letting Harry rest: Dumbledore's asked us not to ask him any questions."

"Okay," she answered, and fell silent, walking with him to the privacy ward. She sat down next to Hermione after glancing at Harry asleep in the bed. She wondered what was going to happen to them all in the future, and locked her hands in her lap, allowing her mind to shut down. It had been a very stressful day.

* * *

Estella sat beside Meris on the train home, not having spoken to him since the Third Task. He didn't seem to want to talk much, but his cousins more than made up for that. Rohan and Karntaan Lestrange had been thrilled when Estella had come back to the Slytherin Common Room and announced that the Dark Lord had returned. She'd tried to go to bed, but they'd followed her and demanded to know everything. She'd told them as much as she could without putting herself in danger.

Rohan glanced over at her with a smirk. "With Fudge refusing to believe Dumbledore and Potter, it'll be much easier to stage a breakout from Azkaban," he said excitedly. "How long do you think it will be before the Death Eaters are released?"

"Well, there's got to be people put in place at the Ministry," Karntaan answered thoughtfully, "and we've got to make sure the Dementors are on our side, of course."

"Are you two sure you're not being overheard?" Meris scowled at them.

"I warded the compartment before any of you arrived," Estella sighed. "I knew they'd come here and want to talk, so I warded it fully."

"Why?" Rohan asked Meris sharply. "Are you afraid of letting others know what we believe? We are the House of Lestrange: there is no disguising our loyalty!"

Estella held up her hands. "Don't argue, boys. There are a lot of things to be unsure of; it's perfectly normal to be concerned about what is happening."

Meris frowned. "I get targeted enough for what our parents have done without adding to the list myself," he said. "And whatever you do will reflect on me."

"That's what my mother told me," Estella sighed as the twins made to reply. "Look: it's each of our decisions what we choose to do in the coming war. But it will affect everyone around us, no matter what. We've each got to do what we've got to do."

Rohan went to say something else, but Estella added, "Even if you disagree with a decision that someone makes, you are not that person. If they want to die in spectacular ways, that's on them."

Both twins laughed, and Karntaan said, "I hope you don't plan on dying, Estella. After all, you're the one who was nearly offered a place in the circle."

Estella noticed that Meris shivered slightly, but smirked and shrugged off the comment. "I just did what my father asked of me," she answered. "What else could I have done? Failed?"

"No!" Rohan said firmly. "We will not fail."

"Well," Estella grinned. "I can't wait until we have to work together on a mission or something. I wish I was all grown up already."

"I don't think you do," Meris told her. "You just aren't aware of everything this means."

"Meris," Estella said softly, "you need to stop talking like that and internalize. You are a Lestrange: you are expected to act a certain way. It will be detrimental to your health if you are outright rebellious."

"I don't disagree with you all," Meris answered over the sound of agreement from Rohan. "But I do think we could do with a more subtle approach. At least while the Dark is secretly growing."

Rohan simply fixed his older cousin with an expression of distrust and answered, "Do not make me say 'I told you so,' Meris Lestrange."

Meris did not look at him, but drew his potions book out of his bag and began to look through some of the more intricate potions, the conversation clearly over. The twins exchanged glances, then looked at Estella, who looked torn, then shook her head at them. She pulled out one of her own books and settled in for a long, silent ride.

The moment they arrived at the station platform, Estella got to her feet. "By the end of this summer, all the Weasleys will be aware of my true self, and I won't have to hide it anymore," she said firmly.

The boys nodded in agreement, and the twins hurried out of the compartment, hurrying away to their own adopted family. Meris turned to look at Estella, and she sighed. "Be careful around the twins," she cautioned him. "I know you aren't—you don't—the war doesn't appeal to you."

He didn't answer, but all of a sudden, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "I am glad you're okay," he murmured. "I just want my family and friends to be all right: I don't have many of them. Thank you for defending me, but you don't have to. I'll be more careful in the future—"

"Estella—oh."

The two broke apart, Estella blushing in embarrassment as she realised that Narcissa Malfoy was standing in the doorway of the compartment. "Cissa," she said as Meris casually grabbed his trunk and left the compartment with a nod to the blonde witch.

"Oh dear," said Narcissa, giving Estella a careful look. "Have you seen Draco? We didn't see him leave the train, and most of his friends have left already."

"Oh," Estella nodded. "He was talking shit to Potter, so he was hexed by five or six people. He's unconscious outside one of the compartments a few cars down." She pointed down the way. "I would have helped, but...I didn't want to be hexed. Fred and George can be mean sometimes."

"I see," Narcissa frowned, then turned and walked away.

Estella watched her go, wondering what the blonde witch thought about the Dark Lord's return and visit to her home. She couldn't even imagine what Draco was in for this summer. This thought made her giggle, and she flicked her wand, shrinking her trunk to place it in her pocket.

She left the compartment and walked onto the platform, straight to where the Weasleys were saying goodbye to Hermione, Harry already having gone. Estella didn't realise what was happening until Arthur looked right at her, then said, "Ready to go, Estella?"

"Yes," she answered simply, and held back a huge grin when she heard Molly's exclamation of disbelief. "I'm back," she said to the woman. "I'm just Estella."


End file.
